Betsey Westuba delivered a powerful message about suicide prevention last week at Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch.
To help illustrate the impact of suicide, she brought along a banner covered with 2,892 yellow ribbons.
Each ribbon represented an individual who died by suicide in Florida during 2013.
The ribbons reflect only the people who died — not the scores of people left behind to cope with the aftermath.
Westuba’s talk touched on the warning signs of suicide and the difficulty people often have in grappling with a loss caused by the suicide of a loved one. She provided information about where to turn for help.
Westuba knows firsthand how it feels to have a loved one die by suicide because that’s how her brother died.
It is common for survivors to experience guilt and to question why the death occurred, she said.
Survivors may find it helpful to seek professional counseling or join a survivors’ support group, she added.
There are actions that people can take to help prevent suicide, said Westuba, who is region six director for the Florida Suicide Prevention Coalition.
People may feel helpless, but small gestures often can help someone who is considering suicide to choose a different path, she said.
Westuba addressed steps people can take to help prevent suicide and help that is available for people who are considering suicide during her talk, timed to coincide with National Suicide Prevention Week, which ran from Sept. 7 to Sept. 13.
More than 70 people gathered for the talk.
“Each suicide is unique,” Westuba said.
People who take their own lives may be dealing with a variety of pressures, she said. Those can include family problems, unrealistic expectations, the loss of a job, and the loss of a home, or other issues.
“Usually it’s not going to be one particular thing,” Westuba said. Rather, it can be an accumulation of stresses, she said.
When people start to feel overwhelmed, they need to know that help is available, Westuba said.
When a person stops keeping in touch with others, that’s a huge sign they may be going through some kind of depression, she said.
If you sense that, Westuba said, it might help to reach out and ask: “What’s happening in your life?”
Sometimes, people just need someone to listen and to check in on them to see how they are doing, she said. That can help people get through a crisis and provide time for them to get additional help.
Developing a safety plan can help, too.
That plan can include a list of people the person can talk to if they need help. It also lists things the person enjoys doing.
Tapping into simple joys in life, such as taking a walk or playing with a dog, can help lift someone out of a funk, Westuba said.
Sharing their feelings with supportive friends and family and getting involved in the community can help those who are feeling overwhelmed, as well, she said.
She urged people in the crowd to pay attention to others and to notice if their behaviors are changing.
Eating disorders and self-harm, such as cutting or picking at skin, can be a sign that someone needs help, she said.
Westuba suggested using a direct approach: “Talk about it. Ask: ‘Are you having thoughts of harming yourself? Are you having thoughts of harming someone else?’ ”
When someone is suicidal and has a firearm, a knife or a stockpile of medications, the best thing to do is call 911, Westuba said, adding that others should not put themselves at risk of being harmed.
Suicide prevention
If you or someone you know is suicidal, call 911 or The National Suicide Prevention Hotline at (800) 273-8255
Visit 211.org and enter your ZIP code to find help for all sorts of issues.
These are signs that someone is thinking about ending his or her life:
If a person talks about:
- Killing himself or herself
- Having no reason to live
- Being a burden to others
- Feeling trapped
- Experiencing unbearable pain
If a person:
- Increases use of drugs or alcohol
- Researches ways to kill himself or herself
- Behaves recklessly
- Withdraws from activities
- Isolates from family and friends
- Sleeps too much or too little
- Visits or calls others to say goodbye
- Acts aggressively
- Displays one or more of the following moods: depression, loss of interest, rage, irritability, humiliation and/or anxiety.
Local support group
WHAT: Healing After a Loved One’s Suicide
WHO: Adults, 18 and older
WHEN: 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., the first and third Wednesday of each month
WHERE: 17030 Lakeshore Road, Building G, Lutz
COST: Free
INFO: Call Suncoast Kids Place to register or for information, (813) 990-0216
Published September 16, 2015
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