Where to turn
National Suicide Prevention Hotline
1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255)
Are you a veteran?
Press 1 to link to Veteran Services
Colorado West Crisis Line
970-241-6022
Call anytime--24 Hr. Availability
Colorado West Psychiatric Hospital
515 28 3/4 Road Grand Junction, CO
Resources for Veterans
Army Suicide Prevention
www.armyg1.army.mil/hr/suicide
Real Warriors
www.realwarriors.net/family/support/preventsuicide.php
Department of Veteran Affairs
Dial 911
Ask for the Crisis Intervention Team
National Alliance for the Mentally Ill--Western Slope
A grassroots organization that provides education, support, and advocacy for people and their families affected by mental illness. Find more information about their various programs at www.namiws.org.
Suicide Warning Signs
- Threatening to hurt or kill oneself or talking about wanting to hurt or kill oneself
- Looking for ways to kill oneself by seeking access to firearms, available pills, or other means
- Talking or writing about death, dying, or suicide when these actions are out of the ordinary for the person
- Feeling hopeless
- Feeling rage or uncontrolled anger or seeking revenge
- Acting reckless or engaging in risky activities--seemingly without thinking
- Feeling trapped--like there's no way out
- Increasing alcohol or drug use
- Withdrawing from friends, family and society
- Feeling anxious or agitated being unable to sleep, or sleeping all the time
- Experiencing dramatic mood changes
- Seeing no reason for living or having no sense of purpose in life
How should you respond?
- Try to remain calm. Take a deep breath. Relax. Get your thoughts focused.
- Engage the person in a focused one-on-one conversation.
- Ask the person directly: "Are you thinking about suicide?"
- Whether the answer is "yes" or "no", spend time listening to the problems/challenges that the person is experiencing.
- Don't judge or dismiss the challenges that the person identifies.
- If the answer is "yes", ask if the person has a plan.
- If there is a plan, what steps need to be taken to defuse it?
- It's critical to keep yourself safe! In defusing the plan don't do anything that would put you in harms way!!!!
- Identify with the person at risk the resources that can help keep him/her safe. Resources can include friends, relatives, co-workers, clergy, coaches, counselors/therapists. It can also include organizations such as Colorado West, or NAMI.