Harm to Self or Others

General Information:

Most mental and emotional health conditions have a low risk of someone harming themselves or someone else, although this is so often what family and friends fear.

Thoughts about suicide are not uncommon among people suffering from mental and emotional health problems. Having thoughts about suicide does not necessarily mean that they are at high risk for acting on this. Most people find that during their illness phase, and at their very low times, these thoughts seem to occur spontaneously even though the person does not wish to harm themselves and can think of many reasons why they would not do so. However, this is not to suggest that thoughts of suicide should be dismissed and taken lightly.

It is important to acknowledge that any statement of suicide or harm to someone else is a statement about the depth of emotional suffering that a person is experiencing and the extent of hopeless or confusion that they might be experiencing. All ideas of harm to self or others should be taken seriously as an indication that something must be done to help alleviate the person's distress.

Although suicidal ideas can be common amongst those with mental and emotional health problems, there are additional factors that, when present, increase the risk that someone might actually act on the ideas and try to harm themselves or anyone else. There are no guaranteed ways in which someone can predict if another person will act in ways harmful to themselves or others. If you have any concerns about someone's risk, you should always consult with an experienced mental health professional. It is known that the presence of factors such as alcohol and drug use or the presence of a lethal weapon such as a firearm, raises the risk very significantly.

• Severe depression
• Schizophrenia
• Drug and alcohol abuse
• Access to lethal means such as a weapon or toxic medications
• Family history of suicide attempts
• History of previous suicide attempts

• Prolonged illness
• Sense of hopelessness
• Social withdrawal and isolation
• Giving away personal possessions
• Expressing plans for a suicide attempt

It is important to recognize also that not all suicidal behaviour is in the form of a direct act intended to kill oneself. Other related conditions occur in the form of reckless and risk taking behaviour that can place the person in harmful and potentially lethal circumstances. This can be an indirect form of suicidal behaviour and as much at risk for completion of suicide as a direct attempt. Caution should always be applied when observing someone who is behaving in unusually reckless or high risk-taking activities and when this tends to be a significant change in their normal behaviour.

What Helps:

There are no clear right and wrong ways to proceed with a situation where a person is intending harm to themselves or others. But, there are some factors that can be used as guidelines.

• Above all else, if there is a clear intention of harm going to occur, safety is the highest priority and everything else comes secondary to acting in ways to ensure safety.

• Safety planning begins right from the time you begin to suspect that someone is at risk for suicide or harm to others. From that moment of concern, prevention plans should be made and implemented. This would include, getting reliable information about suicide, removing lethal means from the home and being attentive to changes in the person's general manner and specific behaviour that might be signs of risk. If there is an immediate danger, Police emergency should always be called and this should be treated no differently than any other serious health emergency.
  The Police Department and the Mental Health Crisis Service have training in Crisis Intervention and can help you to evaluate the concerns that you have and determine what course of action is necessary.

• When there is concern for suicide, many people become afraid to bring the subject up, fearing that doing so is likely to cause the person to make an attempt. Most often, the very people that need to support the person in distress are the ones who keep silent. It is not necessarily true that bringing up the subject will cause the person to make an attempt. What we have learned from those persons who are thinking about suicide, what helps most is if someone actually asks them and gives them the open door to talk about it. Although many people are afraid to bring up the subject, asking the person in a supportive and caring manner about possible suicidal ideas is often felt as a big relief to them. However, this must be done in a supportive and caring manner without being sidetracked into discussing other issues of conflict and disagreement.

• When dealing with someone who has caused you to be concerned for harm to themselves or someone else, it is always important that you prepare yourself for dealing with them and finishing what you start. A successful outcome is helped if you can be calm, encouraging and supportive with the person, treating them with respect and kindness.

Contact Information:

• Emergency Services - 911
• Brandon Police Services - 729-2345
• Bluehills (Brandon Area) RCMP - 726-7500
• Brandon Mental Health Crisis Service
  • 24 Hour Help Line 725-4411
  • After Hours Toll Free 1-888-379-7699
• Brandon Hospital Emergency Department - 578-4161