Recognizing and confronting suicidal attitudes, habits

Stress, past experiences, depression, loneliness and loss. These are only a few of the many different emotions and experiences that can lead to suicide.

While there has not been a successful suicide at the university in a long time, many endeavors have been made.
Counseling and Testing Director Nate William said, “We’re lucky. I’ve been here since ’95 and we have not had a suicide on campus yet, and it’s not for lack of trying. We’ve had a lot of suicide attempts over the last 12 years, and I’m really surprised we haven’t had somebody succeed.”

Counselors and police officers are trained to assess the seriousness of the situation.

Sometimes counseling is enough, but occasionally people need immediate care and are taken to the hospital. Its not a common occurrence on campus, but it does happen each semester.

“I’m glad that we have not (had any suicides) and I’d like to keep it that way. I think the best way to keep it that way is going to be to really increase awareness, have people understand and be trained to ask the question.”

All it takes is four words.

“Are you considering suicide?”

Williams said people dance around the questions. They may have had a similar experience, or they may be afraid the other person will take offense.

Maybe they think they are offering suicide as an idea. This is not true.

Research shows asking usually prevents somebody from ending their life.

Many people considering suicide feel hopeless and lonely.

 Caring about what they do offers them hope and opens a door to talk about the situation.

A special training called QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) has been created to teach people about the warning signs and how to ask the question.

Five people from UMHB were recently trained to become certified QPR instructors.

One of them is Associate Dean of Students and Director of Residence Life Donna Plank.

She said RAs go through training each semester to learn about suicide prevention, and plans are for them to go through the QPR program.

Plank said, “Nate Williams will also be working with the other certified trainers on campus to offer QPR training to any interested faculty and staff member.”

There are many reasons people turn to suicide.

“In the majority of these situations, the student doesn't have a plan and is really wanting help, not wanting to harm themselves. There have been times when a student has gone further and has taken some action, but the majority of situations have to do with students being in pain and not knowing what to do.”

For most suicidal people, depression and loss enhance their feelings of hopelessness and helplessness.
“People in these emotional states have difficulty thinking of new and different solutions to the problems they have been experiencing for a while,” Plank said.

She explained the best way to aid such people.

“Ask the question and ask it directly, and then listen and give them your full attention. Express concern for the person by telling them that you are worried about them and you want them to live. Tell them there is help available and ask them if they will go with you to get help or let you help them get help.”

The campus counseling center offers eight free appointments. Extra sessions are $10 each. Tuesday evening counseling is now available, and people can even get online screenings from the counseling section of the UMHB intranet that are free and anonymous. Results can be printed and taken to the doctor.

Incidents at Virginia Tech spurred the development of the Student Threat Assessment Team, ten people fighting for the students of the university.

Williams said, “We foc- us on caring for the student body. If the student is at risk of being hurt in some way, we have the framework in place to take action to protect them.”

Another QPR instructor and member of the Student Threat Assessment Team is Campus Police Chief Gary Sargent.
He said the best way to prevent suicide is to pay attention and get involved.

“We need to be aware of what’s happening around us,” he said. “It’s very easy for us to get so focused on the task that we have to accomplish that we fail to even see the person that is walking down the sidewalk next to us, or just passed us, or just standing in the elevator with us.”

He reminds people that “suicide is a permanent answer to a temporary problem.”

Many people are trained to do CPR. Sargent and Williams hope to train just as many people in QPR.

Williams said, “We have Success in Academics, which every single freshman is required to take, and classes are about 30 people—the ideal size. I would love to give (QPR) as a unit … because within four years, the entire student body would be qualified.”

There are always other solutions to the problems that overwhelm some people. Committing suicide affects many people.

Williams said, “Don’t do it. And it’s more than that. It’s very normal for when a person is depressed to feel like giving in … problems are solvable. They’re solvable, they pass. Taking one’s own life is permanent. There’s no going back from that. It’s a permanent solution to a temporary problem. We have plenty of people who can help.”