Suicidal Ideation: The Inner Voice of Chaos

By: Elizabeth Lynch

              Having a mental illness can be extremely scary especially when suicidal thoughts creep into the mind. These thoughts are known as suicidal ideations; which are not uncommon in people suffering from mental illnesses such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and other mood disorders. Suicidal ideations often consist of frequent thoughts about committing suicide but they can extend as far as incomplete attempts. Not everyone with a mental illness attempts suicide. However, many have fleeting thoughts about it which can grow into a more dangerous situation if left unaided.

If you or someone you know may attempt suicide or are experiencing any of the following actions, get immediate help now!

Please call 911 or the suicide hotline 1-800-273-8255

• Detailed planning
  • Having a step by step plan
• Role playing
  • Sitting with a bottle of pills or standing on a chair with a noose
• Incomplete attempts
  • Usually constructed not to be completed or discovered
  • May be fully intended to cause death

If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal or experiencing any of the following thoughts please seek medical help from your doctor or mental health professional:

• Fleeting thoughts
  • Example: “I’m nothing” or “I’m worthless”
• Extensive thoughts
  • Example: “I wish I was dead” or “the world would be better without me”
• Intrusive thoughts
  • Example: “I could crash my car right now”

Additional Warning Signs:

• Withdrawal from social contact
• Mood swings
• Changing of routines
• Self-destructive actions
  • Increase use of drugs and alcohol, reckless driving
• Giving away personal belongings for no logical reasons
• Acquiring the means to commit suicide
  • Stockpiling pills, unexplained purchases of razor blades, knives, or guns
• Unexplained notions of love followed by a goodbye that is seemingly to final

If you or a loved one appears to be suffering from Suicidal Ideations, the licensed psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, and psychotherapists at Arista Counseling & Psychotherapy can assist you. Contact our Paramus, NJ or Manhattan, NY offices respectively, at (201) 368-3700 or (212) 722-1920 to set up an appointment. For more information, visit http://www.counselingpsychotherapynjny.com/