HomeBlogPatientSuicide & Social Media: How to Help Suicide & Social Media: How to Help April 2, 2019Patient Trigger Warning: Suicide If you or someone you know has suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK. Pete Davidson, star of Saturday Night Live, scared a lot people when he posted to Instagram in late December 2018: “i really don’t want to be on this earth anymore. i’m doing my best to stay here for you but i actually don’t know how much longer i can last. all i’ve ever tried to do was help people. just remember i told you so.” He then almost immediately deleted his Instagram account. Many people were worried and reached out, offering help, support and a listening ear. A month later, he appeared on Saturday Night Live, joking about his post. His colleague and friend John Mulaney said to him: “Pete, look at me. Look me in the eye. You are loved by many…And we are glad you’re okay.” Not everyone has that visible of a support network. If someone you love is threatening suicide or harming themselves – over social media or in real life – what are the steps you should take? Warning Signs of Suicide The first step in helping someone you love is knowing and recognizing the warning signs of suicidal thoughts. From the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, warning signs include: Talking about wanting to die or to kill themselves Looking for a way to kill themselves, like searching online or buying a gun Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain Talking about being a burden to others Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs Acting anxious or agitated; behaving recklessly Sleeping too little or too much Withdrawing or isolating themselves Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge Extreme mood swings These signs can be exhibited in several ways. Sometimes, you can notice a change in behavior and how the person communicates. If you aren’t in the same location as them, you may notice a change in how they communicate over social media by the pictures they post, the language they use, or the articles they share. “Talking about a wish to die does not always mean that a person is actually going to hurt themselves, but it is a request for you to pay attention, and it is important to acknowledge that you’ve heard their pain,” wrote F. Diane Barth, psychotherapist, in an article on NBCNews.com. Take ACTion The website, Stop a Suicide Today, writes that “70% of people tell someone or give warning signs before taking their own life.” The site offers the acronym ACT® to help people understand the appropriate steps to take if someone is threating suicide: A – Acknowledge. Take the threats seriously and listen attentively. C – Care.Tell them you love them, share how they are important to you, and voice your concern in a caring way. Remain calm and do not tell them to “snap out of it.” The website offers helpful suggestions on how to start the conversation here. T – Treatment.Get professional help immediately. This could include bringing them to the nearest emergency room, calling 911 or calling the National Suicide Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). If you are witnessing suicidal threats over social media, the issue becomes even more complicated. Social media tends to amplify and/or misconstrue even the best of sentiments. If someone has posted an alarming post on social media, you may consider trying to reach them in-person or over the phone so that your reply isn’t misunderstood. Barth, in her NBCNews.com article, wrote: “It’s good to express concern and caring, but remember that social media exaggerates everything. Loving comments can feel over the top and meaningless, so keep your caring words gentle and genuine. And understand that, along the same lines, subtlety doesn’t exist online. Teasing and snark can come across as mean and hurtful, and an already-vulnerable person can feel deeply wounded by something you intend as just good-natured ribbing.” Using Language to Help Doctors Prevent Suicide People contemplating suicide often use similar language. This insight led Don Wright (one of the first employees of Assurex Health, now Myriad Neuroscience, purveyors of the GeneSight test) to launch a new company called Clarigent Health. The new venture is backed by Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, a top-ranked pediatric medical center and research institution, and seed investor CincyTech. The company is working to create a smartphone app that uses advanced algorithms to analyze speech. In a therapy session, the app will analyze the language the patient is using and provide an assessment if a patient is at risk for suicide. The doctor or therapist can then use the app’s assessment to help guide treatment decisions. “The initial products are all built on artificial intelligence … and we’re trying to bring clarity to a place where there isn’t a lot,” Wright told the Cincinnati Business Courier. “The hope is we can be a piece of bringing mental health forward like what’s happened in cancer and HIV and other diseases where there’s true science.” When it comes to suicide prevention, hope is a powerful thing. If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) any time of day or night or chat online. Our articles are for informational purposes only and are reviewed by our Medical Information team, which includes PharmDs, MDs, and PhDs. Do not make any changes to your current medications or dosing without consulting your healthcare provider. The GeneSight test must be ordered by and used only in consultation with a healthcare provider who can prescribe medications. As with all genetic tests, the GeneSight test results have limitations and do not constitute medical advice. The test results are designed to be just one part of a larger, complete patient assessment, which would include proper diagnosis and consideration of your medical history, other medications you may be taking, your family history, and other factors. If you are a healthcare provider and interested in learning more about the GeneSight test, please contact us at 855.891.9415. If you are a patient, please talk with your doctor to see if the GeneSight test may be helpful. Patient Hints To Help You Have A Better New Year The holidays have ended, and a new year has begun—a time when many embrace a fresh start by setting New Year’s resolutions. This year, why not consider s... Read more Patient Movement as Medicine: Solutions for Anxiety Moving forward. 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Patient Hints To Help You Have A Better New Year The holidays have ended, and a new year has begun—a time when many embrace a fresh start by setting New Year’s resolutions. This year, why not consider s... Read more
Patient Movement as Medicine: Solutions for Anxiety Moving forward. It sounds like a nice idea, especially when you’re feeling stuck deep in the throes of an anxiety spiral. But it turns out that physically m... Read more
Patient Weight-Loss Drugs and Mental Health: What You Need to Know New medications for weight loss seem to be flying off pharmacy shelves these days. But could they be linked to mental health conditions? Researchers are ... Read more
Patient 3 million patients (and counting!) have now taken the GeneSight test! We’re thrilled to share that 3 million patients (and counting!) have now taken the GeneSight test! We're so grateful to the dedicated healthcare providers who... Read more
Patient The Model Minority Myth and Mental Health The model minority myth stereotypes one cultural group, typically Asian Americans, as “intelligent, hard-working, and diligent and therefore more academically, ... Read more
Healthcare Provider How Clinicians Can Help Support Their Patients Who Are Being Bullied How Clinicians Can Help Support Their Patients Who Are Being Bullied Acts of bullying can cause feelings of fear, loneliness and sadness, as well as depressi... Read more
Patient Cyberbullying: Unique Challenges and Impacts ‘We lost our daughter to cyberbullying.’ McKenna Brown was an accomplished hockey player and scholar, known for her kindness, when she became the target of int... Read more
Going Beyond Green, Yellow, Red on the GeneSight Report This blog summarizes key points discussed during the March 2024 GeneSight® Engage webinar Participants: Bernie Ranchero, MD, MS, MBA, medical direc... Read more
Healthcare Provider Top 5 Reasons Patients Stop Their Mood Disorder Treatment Mood disorder treatment for depression can be challenging – and patients may become frustrated when treatments don’t work. In fact, when people with depres... Read more
Patient The Impact of Gratitude on Depression and Anxiety “Say ‘Thank you,” a mother reminds her young kiddo. “T.G.I.F.!” we cheer at the end of a long week. We know it’s important to be thankful. But do we ... Read more
Patient The Silent Thief: The 5 Things Depression Can Steal “Depression is a thief,” writes Abhinav Chaurasia, a marketing automation specialist in an essay on LinkedIn. “It steals your joy, your motivation, and your abi... Read more
Patient How to Talk to Your Doctor about Anxiety Medication “When I was 27, I felt bad all the time,” writes Joanna Goddard on the popular Cup of Jo blog. She describes her initial experience with anxiety in detail. ... Read more
Healthcare Provider Building Trust by Reducing Bias: The GeneSight Test as a Tool for Mental Health Equity This blog summarizes key points discussed during Myriad Mental Health’s July 2022 Webinar: Building Trust by Reducing Bias: The GeneSight Test as a Tool for Men... Read more
Patient Anxiety and older adults: What to look for and how to help “It’s not how old you are. It’s how you are, old.” - French author Jules Renard Mental health is important at every age. But when people experience an a... Read more
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Healthcare Provider It’s time to talk suicide: addressing stigma around a difficult topic Trigger Warning: This webinar discusses suicide. If you or someone you know has suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. ... Read more
Patient Stress Relief Methods for Family Caregivers Caring for a loved one can be a rewarding and meaningful experience. However, the day in and day out of taking care of someone who is unwell also can be challen... Read more
Healthcare Provider Healthcare Professional Burnout and Links to Depression When Dr. Lorna Breen, an ER doc in Manhattan, died by suicide in April 2020, it opened up a public discussion about the burdens faced by healthcare professi... Read more
Healthcare Provider Antidepressant Withdrawal or Depression Reoccurrence? What Healthcare Providers Should Know People who stop taking antidepressants may do so for many reasons: they may feel like it isn’t working, may feel unable to cope with side effects, or may not fe... Read more