Question

I have a case study about a 25 year old male who is schizophrenic. One of the question are, How would you go about verifying if he has a suicide plan or a weapon?

Answer 1

People who feel suicidal might try to hide what they are going through or pretend they are okay. If someone tells you they are thinking about suicide, recognise their pain or what they’ve just said and invite them to keep talking.

Some of the warning signs are :-

access things they could use to hurt themselves,like a rope or gun

read or write about suicide online, or post photos or videos about suicide

become obsessed with death

become isolated or withdrawn from family and friends

don't seem to be coping with any problems they may be having

tell you they want to die or kill themselves

have changes in mood – becoming depressed, angry or enraged

hurt themselves – for example, cutting skin or taking an overdose

feel worthless, guilty, whakama or ashamed

have no hope for the future

use drugs or alcohol to cope with difficult feelings or thoughts

lose or gain a lot of weight, or have unusual eating patterns

sleep a lot more than usual, or stop getting enough sleep

seem to have lost interest in life, or things they used to enjoy

give away possessions, pay back debts or 'tie up loose ends'

stop taking their medication

suddenly seem calm or happy after they have been depressed or suicidal