Suicidal ideation is a clinical term that refers to someone’s thoughts of ending their own life. It can encompass a wide array of thoughts, but the common thread is that a person feels so helpless and hopeless that they believe that suicide is the only possible way to end their suffering.
If you are struggling with the symptoms and effects of suicidal ideation, you must seek help immediately. If you believe that you’re in imminent danger of death by suicide, the Mayo Clinic advises that you call 911 or contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.
If you have even a passing thought of suicide, that’s a signal that must be taken seriously. By seeking and receiving proper professional suicidal ideation treatment, you can greatly lower your risk for something tragic happening while significantly increasing your chances of finding newfound hope.
At Tower Behavioral Health in Reading, Pennsylvania, we provide comprehensive suicidal ideation treatment for adults and adolescents of all genders.
Signs & Symptoms of Suicidal Ideation
It can be difficult to differentiate what constitutes a bad day or a down period for a person versus what might lead someone to take their own life. Often, a person who is struggling with suicidal ideation might go out of their way to hide any signs of what they may be considering.
The opposite can be true as well. Sometimes, a person may talk openly about it. Even if it’s in a joking manner, talk of suicidal ideation warrants serious follow-up consideration.
Generally speaking, here are some signs and symptoms that may indicate that a person is struggling with suicidal ideation:
- Significant mood swings
- Making statements about death or dying
- Seeming preoccupied with death or violence
- Talking about access to guns or pills
- Social withdrawal
- Change of sleeping or eating patterns and routines
- Increased use of alcohol or other substances
- Participating in risky or self-destructive activities
- Giving away valued possessions
- Loss of interest in once-pleasurable activities
- Displaying a negative self-image
If you have displayed some or many of these signs and symptoms, it’s imperative that you seek professional intervention. Tower Behavioral Health will administer a complimentary assessment to determine if our suicidal ideation treatment center is a good fit for you.
Suicidal Ideation Statistics
Suicidal ideation refers to a series of thoughts, so it’s impossible to determine exactly how many people struggle with this experience. But by looking at statistics involving death by suicide and suicide attempts, we are able to understand a little more about the prevalence of suicidal ideation in the United States.
- In 2013, an estimated 9.3 million adults (3.9% of the adult population) reported having suicidal thoughts in the past year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- Suicidal thoughts were most common among adults ages 18-25 (7.4%), followed by adults ages 26-49 (4.0%), according to the CDC.
- The CDC reports that males die by suicide at nearly four times the rate of females, representing 77.9% of all suicides.
- In 2018, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention reported that there were an estimated 1.4 million suicide attempts.
- Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among Americans ages 10-34, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
Potential Effects of Suicidal Ideation
If you don’t receive effective professional suicidal ideation treatment, you put yourself at risk for a number of negative outcomes. One of those, death by suicide, is rather obvious. But that’s not the only troubling impact untreated suicidal ideation can have on your life.
The following are some of the other possible effects of suicidal ideation:
- Job loss or chronic unemployment
- Isolation from friends and loved ones
- Continued sense of hopelessness
- Social withdrawal
- Medical complications due to poor self-care
- Academic setbacks
- Inability to maintain or form relationships
- Onset or worsening of other mental health concerns
The ramifications of any of these effects can be dire, but with the right suicidal ideation treatment, you can reduce your risk for these unwanted outcomes. Tower Behavioral Health’s suicidal ideation treatment center can help you begin to heal from any negative effects that have already taken hold and lower your chance of future harm.
Why Choose Our Suicidal Ideation Treatment Center
There are many benefits to receiving suicidal ideation treatment at Tower Behavioral Health, and one of the most significant is the outstanding team that will administer your care. Your suicidal ideation treatment team may include psychotherapists, registered nurses, psychiatrists and psychologists, behavioral health associates, occupational therapists, case managers, social workers, and more. All these esteemed professionals pride themselves on a compassionate, patient-centered approach.
By working with your suicidal ideation treatment team and participating in groups with like-minded patients, you’ll come to understand that you are not alone. Tower Behavioral Health’s treatment team has the knowledge to help you manage your suicidal ideation symptoms. Other patients are living through these struggles themselves.
All suicidal ideation treatment plans at our facility in Reading, Pennsylvania, are personalized based on each individual’s needs, strengths, and goals. We focus your treatment plan on addressing identified challenges that might be activated by a crisis, trauma history, or other social triggers.
The benefits of your suicidal ideation treatment don’t end when you leave us. From the time of your admission, we’ll work on developing a detailed discharged plan that will provide you with the community resources and step-down support that can help you in the days, weeks, and months to come.
Therapies Used in Suicidal Ideation Treatment
Tower Behavioral Health uses a variety of evidence-based techniques and practices in our suicidal ideation treatment, and you’ll benefit from an array of therapeutic modalities, such as:
- Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
- Motivational interviewing
- Mindfulness
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
The specific therapies you engage in during the course of your suicidal ideation treatment will largely depend on your personalized treatment plan, which will be reviewed regularly to reflect your progress. In general, though, your plan may include:
- Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP)
- Family meetings
- Experiential therapies, including music, art, and dance/movement therapies
- Medication management services
- Individual therapy
- Group therapy
By choosing to receive inpatient suicidal ideation treatment, you’re taking a courageous step in admitting that you can benefit from professional intervention for a mental health concern that has taken its toll on your well-being.
By choosing Tower Behavioral Health, you’re making a decision that will allow you to step away from the stress of everyday life, refocus and educate yourself on suicidal ideation, and leave with the tools that will help you enjoy happier, healthier days for many years to come.
This content was written on behalf of and reviewed by the clinical staff at Tower Behavioral Health.
