Depression carries a high risk of suicide. Anybody who expresses suicidal thoughts or intentions should be taken very seriously. Do not hesitate to call your local suicide hotline immediately. Call 800-SUICIDE (800-784-2433) or 800-273-TALK (800-273-8255) or the deaf hotline at 800-799-4889.
Recently we were all heartbroken to learn about the tragic death of Robin Williams, the beloved, iconic star of stage and screen known for his lovable characters, quick-fire style of comedy and charitable nature behind the camera, who was found dead from an apparent suicide by hanging, in his California home he shared with his third wife of less than a year.
Once the news broke, the only thing that most people could think of was how someone so full of life, who lived to make others laugh and feel good, could choose to end his life in such a tragic way. Out of everyone that one would think would commit suicide, surely Robin Williams was the furthest person from anyone’s mind. The questions remain.
Suicide, itself, leaves a lot of unanswered questions behind, which at Advanced Bio Treatment, we have first hand experience in witnessing the devastation these unknown factors can reap on the family members or loved ones left to try to make sense out of the senseless. Dealing with the aftermath of such a terrible event is likely one of the hardest things that a family must cope with. There are, however, lessons to be learned from the Robin Williams case, as with every suicide we have personally dealt with, that can help save lives in the future.
Advanced Bio Treatment, the professional, knowledgable crime scene clean up company, believes that the best way to minimize the risk of suicide is to know the risk factors and to recognize the warning signs of suicide. Take these signs seriously and know how to respond to them. Like we said, it could save someone’s life.
First, how prevalent is suicide?
Suicide is a potentially preventable public health problem. In 2009, the last year for which statistics are available, suicide was the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. That year, there were nearly 37,000 suicides, and 1 million people attempted suicide, according to the Centers for Disease Control, with men taking their lives nearly four times the rate of women, accounting for 79% of suicides in the U.S.
Risk factors for suicide vary by age, gender, and ethnic group, often occurring in combinations.
Over 90% of people who die by suicide have clinical depression or another diagnosable mental disorder. Many times, people who die by suicide have a substance abuse problem. Often they have that problem in combination with other mental disorders. Robin Williams was included in those ranks, unfortunately, and suffered from not only depression, but was also very open about his struggles with sobriety. In fact, in the last few years of his life, after a 20 year stretch of time without the influence of drugs or alcohol, Williams fell into a phase of relapsing and entered a rehab facility no fewer than 4 times in the last 5 years.
Adverse or traumatic life events, in combination with other risk factors, such as clinical depression, may lead to suicide. This again underscores the pattern of mixing risk factors, as Williams had also recently undergone a very complicated, open heart surgery, which doctors are beginning to mark a correlation between the two, chest cavity operations and suicide. However, suicide and suicidal behavior are never normal responses to stress.
Other risk factors for suicide include:
- One or more prior suicide attempts
- Family history of mental disorder or substance abuse
- Family history of suicide
- Family violence
- Physical or sexual abuse
- Keeping firearms in the home
- Chronic physical illness, including chronic pain
- Incarceration
- Exposure to the suicidal behavior of others
Are There Warning Signs of Suicide? Yes there are. Advanced Biotreatment wants you to know the Warning signs that someone may be thinking about or planning to commit suicide, which include:
- Always talking or thinking about death
- Clinical depression — deep sadness, loss of interest, trouble sleeping and eating — that gets worse
- Having a “death wish,” tempting fate by taking risks that could lead to death, such as driving fast or running red lights
- Losing interest in things one used to care about
- Making comments about being hopeless, helpless, or worthless
- Putting affairs in order, tying up loose ends, changing a will
- Saying things like “it would be better if I wasn’t here” or “I want out”
- Sudden, unexpected switch from being very sad to being very calm or appearing to be happy
- Talking about suicide or killing one’s self
- Visiting or calling people to say goodbye
Be especially concerned if a person is exhibiting any of these warning signs and has attempted suicide in the past. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, between 20% and 50% of people who commit suicide have had a previous attempt.
If you or someone you know is thinking or talking about hurting themselves, don’t wait, get help. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or the National Hopeline Network at 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433). These toll-free crisis hotlines offer 24-hour suicide prevention and support. Your call is free and confidential.
If you have recently lost someone that you love through suicide, and you don’t know who to turn to, Advanced Bio Treatment, specializing in death scene cleanups, is here to help you put the pieces of your life back together, even though we know that things will never be the same again…
Of all the questions that you have to deal with, one of them should not what to do about the cleaning of the affected area. We are a caring and compassionate suicide scene cleanup services company that has been serving families and business across the country since 2003.
The scene of a suicide will not only be visually and emotionally disturbing but it also has inherent dangers that most people do not think about. There are many fluids and biohazards that you can not see with the naked eye. Our professional suicide and crime scene cleaning technicians are chosen for their empathy and attention to detail, and they will work as quickly as possible to remove all blood, tissue, bodily fluids, and odors from the affected area.
Advanced Bio Treatment offers a Suicide Support Resources with Suicide Clean Up Services guidance or advice. Additionally if you have questions about payment options, clean up procedures from your homeowners policy or need suicide cleanup services immediately, don’t hesitate to give Advanced Bio Treatment a call 800-295-1684.
You don’t want to try and attempt to clean up a crime scene or accident scene. Blood and other bodily fluids can contain dangerous pathogens which pose a significant risk to human health. Our scene cleanup technicians will decontaminate and remove any blood, tissue or bodily fluids a crime and trauma scene has left behind. Advanced Bio Treatment is a professional scene cleaning company.
Regardless of whether the scene is at your home and personal property, a commercial business, or industrial site, we’ll strictly adhere to OSHA regulations and API Worksafe guidelines in our cleanup efforts. We only deploy EPA registered hospital grade cleansers and disinfectants.
If you need trauma or accidental death cleanup guidance, have questions about your payment options or current insurance policy covers don’t hesitate to give Advanced Bio Treatment a call 24/7.
800-295-1684
