Five signs someone you know may be contemplating suicide

Oconto Falls – Nearly 800,000 people die by suicide every year, which is one person every 40 seconds, according to the World Health Organization. In addition, for each completed suicide, there are more than 20 attempts.

Navigating a pandemic and national unrest may contribute to these troubling statistics, as fear and anxiety may overcome us as we’re trying to understand what’s happening around us.

People of all genders, ages and ethnicities can be at risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors. During September’s National Suicide Prevention Month, HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital reminds everyone that if you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, there are resources available.

In July, a new, nationwide Suicide and Crisis Lifeline was launched: 988. You can call, text or chat this three-digit number which connects people to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline where free and confidential help is available 24/7. Trained counselors will listen, offer support and connect those in crisis with additional resources if necessary.

It is important to not only take note of your own feelings on a regular basis, but also of those around you. Here are five signs someone you know may be contemplating suicide:

1. They give a direct verbal clue by saying something like “I’m going to end it all,” or “I wish I were dead.”
2. They give a coded verbal clue by saying something like “I’m tired of life. I just want out,” or “I can’t take it anymore.”
3. They exhibit behavioral clues like increased risk-taking, self-injurious behavior, drug or alcohol use, sleeping too much or too little, saying goodbye to friends and family and/or giving away prized possessions.
4. They take on blame for situations like being fired from a job, being diagnosed with a serious illness or being bullied or humiliated.
5. They showcase a noticeable change in mood such as depression, anxiety, withdrawal from activities, irritability and/or shame.

The National Institute of Mental Health provides additional warning signs and resources for those in or near crisis.

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About HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital
HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital serves Oconto Falls and the surrounding communities as a federally designated critical access hospital with a 24-hour emergency department; inpatient and outpatient surgical and diagnostic services; cancer care; therapy and rehabilitation; wound care; the Almost Home Swing Bed program; and more. It was founded as Oconto Falls City Hospital in 1921 and became HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital in 2014 when it joined Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS). As an affiliate of HSHS, HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital draws on the history of St. Francis of Assisi as it serves the health care needs of the region in Christ’s healing ministry, caring for all people. HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital also has five rural health center locations in affiliation with Prevea Health in Gillett, Lena, Mountain, Oconto Falls and Suring; and operates HSHS Pharmacies in Gillett and Oconto Falls, and HSHS Prescription Services (remote dispensing sites) in Lena, Mountain and Pulaski. In 2022, HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital was named a Top 100 Critical Access Hospital in the U.S. by The Chartis Center for Rural Health. For more information about St. Clare, please visit: www.stclarememorial.org.

About Hospital Sisters Health System

Hospital Sisters Health System’s (HSHS) mission is to reveal and embody Christ’s healing love for all people through our high quality, Franciscan health care ministry. HSHS provides state-of-the-art health care to our patients and is dedicated to serving all people, especially the most vulnerable, at each of our 15 Local Systems and physician practices in Illinois (Breese, Decatur, Effingham, Greenville, Highland, Litchfield, O’Fallon, Shelbyville and Springfield) and Wisconsin (Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire, Oconto Falls, Sheboygan, and two in Green Bay). HSHS is sponsored by Hospital Sisters Ministries. For more information about HSHS, visit www.hshs.org.  For more information about Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, visit www.hospitalsisters.org.