Mental Health Articles

Causes of Suicidal Thoughts: Helping You Better Understand Your Suicidal Thoughts

14/3/2024

By Dr. Joti Samra, CEO & Founder of the Psychological Health & Safety (PH&S) Clinic and MyWorkplaceHealth

Helping You Better Understand Your Suicidal Thoughts

Some problems and experiences, especially those that have been around for a long time, can leave you feeling hopeless and overwhelmed. At these times, you may think that you have no options left. You may think about suicide as a way to escape intense emotional pain. There are many potential causes of suicidal thoughts and it can be helpful to better understand your suicidal thoughts in order to work toward managing and preventing them.

People who consider suicide as an option often think that their problems are unbearable and can’t be fixed. They feel like nothing they have tried has or will change their situation. Their emotional pain can distort thinking so it becomes harder to trust, or to see possible solutions to problems, or to connect with available love and support.
Even if it seems that you can’t stand another minute, it is important to remember that feelings (e.g., grief, anger, sadness, loneliness, shame), especially at this intense level, don’t last forever. Sometimes thoughts of suicide can become very strong, especially if you have taken drugs or alcohol. It is important to not use nonprescription drugs or alcohol, particularly when you feel hopeless or are thinking about suicide.

Some of the thoughts you may be having are:

Believing there are no other options.
Sensing your family or friends would be better off without you.
Thinking you’ve done something so horrible that suicide is the only option.
Wanting to escape your suffering.
Experiencing unbearable pain that feels like it will go on forever.
Wanting to let your loved ones know how much you hurt.
Wanting to hurt or get revenge on others.

Your feelings of pain are very real. However, it is important to know that there is hope. With the help of professionals and the support of family and friends, you can learn about what is causing your suffering and how you can change or manage it.
Hurting or killing yourself are not your only options. Professionals can help you learn new skills for dealing with your pain. These might include: developing new skills to cope; seeing your problems in a new light; improving your ability to handle intense and painful emotions; improving your relationships; increasing your social supports; or medications.

Causes of Suicidal Thoughts

There are a number of potential causes of suicidal thoughts and you are not wrong or weak for feeling them. But the better you understand where your suicidal thoughts are coming from the better you are able to manage those feelings, Some of the potential causes of suicidal thoughts are:

Mental health problems: Some mental health problems, such as depression or anxiety, can increase feelings of suicide. Mental health problems are treatable. It is important to talk to your doctor if you feel low, depressed, or anxious. Counselling or medication may help, consider signing up for a free consultation with the Psychological Health & Safety Clinic.
Conflict with loved ones: You may feel family or friends would be better off without you. It’s important to remember that conflict with others doesn’t last forever. Ending your life is not a way to solve that conflict. We know that people who lose a loved one to suicide say that their lives are not better off.
Loss: Many different types of loss can increase the chances of feeling suicidal. Some examples include: a break-up; losing a job; losing social status; or losing a loved one or friend. Also, knowing someone who has died by suicide can increase the chance of thinking of suicide as an option. As difficult as your loss may seem, there are people and services that can help you get through difficult times, such as the BC Bereavement Helpline (1-877-779-2223).
Medical problems: Medical problems such as diabetes, thyroid problems, chronic pain, or multiple sclerosis can increase chances that you may think about suicide. Make sure you have proper medical care for health problems. Some medications can increase feelings of suicide. It is important to speak to your doctor about this. You can also get information by calling the BC Nurse Line (8-1-1) or the Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions program (1-877-240-3941).
Sexual and gender identity issues: People who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender may have a higher risk of suicide. Uncertainty about sexual identity and fears of possible or real rejection from family or friends can make things worse. There is support available. Prideline (1-800-566-1170) is peer support and information phone line. Prideline is open 7 days a week, from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Financial/legal problems: Financial or legal problems, such as overwhelming debt, gambling problems, or problems with the law, can be very stressful. It is important to know there may be free services that can help you deal with financial or legal problems. These include the Credit Counselling Society (1-888-527-8999), the Problem Gambling Help Line (1-888-795-6111), or the Legal Services Society (1-866-577-2525).
Lack of connection to friends and others: Thoughts of suicide can increase if you spend a lot of time alone, or don’t feel you can tell anyone your problems. Talk to someone, like a professional, about ways you can increase social support in your life. You may feel the people that are in your life don’t understand the pain you are feeling. Talk to a professional about ways that you can let others know of the pain and unhappiness you are feeling. The Social Supports wellness module at www.heretohelp.bc.ca gives ideas for how to improve your social supports.
Drug and alcohol problems: Using alcohol or drugs can make feelings of depression, anxiety, and thoughts about suicide worse. Drugs and alcohol can change the way you think about problems in your life. If drugs or alcohol are causing your problems, you can get information on treatment from the BC Alcohol and Drug Information and Referral Service (1-800-663-1441).

Final Thoughts

As you can see, there are many potential causes of suicidal thoughts. These thoughts are normal and even though they seem unbearable at the moment they aren’t going to last forever and there is support available. Understanding your suicidal thoughts not only makes it easier to manage these feelings but also makes it easier to ask for help.

If you or someone you love is at immediate risk, call 9-1-1.

What is Burnout

7/3/2024

By Darby Eakins, CBT Therapist and certified Psychological Health & Safety (PH&S) Advisor

What is burnout?

While burnout is not officially recognized as a diagnosable mental illness, recent research (Koutsimani, 2019) suggests that even though it’s often associated with anxiety and depression, it appears to be a robust and stand-alone construct. The World Health Organization defines burnout as “a feeling of intense fatigue, loss of control, and an inability to produce concrete results at work.”
Another definition indicates burnout is “a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress.” It’s always associated with work, and while it was initially reserved for those in caring roles (nurses, doctors, social workers and teachers), we now know that all workers can be exposed to burnout.
Folks with burnout will often meet the criteria for depression and/or anxiety, and some will even meet the criteria for PTSD. In my case, I met the criteria for all three. But with the context of work removed or the organizational issues remedied, most folks will recover.

Burnout Risk Factors & Facts

No one is immune to burnout, and it equally affects men and women.
No age group appears to be at higher risk than another.
1 in 4 Canadian workers report being stressed, 60% of these say that work is the source of their stress.
There is no clear understanding of exactly what conditions lead to burnout, except that all workers who experience burnout have been experiencing chronic stress, and it arises out of workplace factors as well as personal factors.
Burnout is more than an individual issue, and research shows that a combination of individual and systemic factors lead to burnout.
Organizational risk factors include: work overload, lack of autonomy, inability for individuals to participate in decisions that impact their work, an imbalance between perceived efforts made and the recognition received (salary, esteem, respect, etc.), poorly defined responsibilities, insufficient communication, ambiguous roles, unhealthy atmosphere, difficult schedules.
Individual factors that put someone at higher risk of burnout include: having high expectations of oneself, making work the sole focus of one’s life, perfectionistic perspectives, having a heightened professional conscience, not knowing how to delegate, personal factors such as family responsibilities or loneliness.

Burnout and the National Psychological Safety Standard

The National Psychological Safety Standard (The Standard) defines a psychologically healthy and safe workplace as “a workplace that promotes workers’ psychological well-being and actively works to prevent harm to worker psychological health, including in negligent, reckless or intentional ways.” (National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace (CAN/CSA-Z1003-13/BNQ9700- 803/2013)

The Standard outlines 13 risk factors for psychological safety at work:

Organizational Culture: Employees hold common norms, values, beliefs, meanings, and expectations. They are then used as behavioural and problem-solving cues.
Psychological and Social Support: Approaches, services and benefits addressing worker mental health.
Clear Leadership and Expectations: Workers know what they are expected to do through effective leadership; changes are shared in a timely manner; helpful feedback is provided on expected and actual performance; and the organizations provide clear, effective communication.
Civility and Respect: People treat each other fairly and with respect.
Psychological Demands: There is a good fit between employees’ interpersonal and emotional competencies and the requirements of the position they hold.
Growth and Development: Workers receive encouragement and support in the development of their interpersonal, emotional, and job skills.
Recognition and Reward: Immediate supervisor appreciates work; staff are paid fairly for work done; accomplishments are celebrated; and, worker’s commitment and passion for their work is valued.
Involvement and Influence: Workers are included in discussions about how their work is done and involved in important decisions that impact their role.
Workload Management: Assigned responsibilities can be accomplished successfully within the time available.
Engagement: Workers enjoy their job and are proud to be a part of the success of the organization.
Balance: A work environment where there is acceptance of the need for a sense of harmony between the demands of personal life, family, and work.
Psychological Protection: The organization deals effectively with situations that can threaten or harm workers (including bullying and harassment).
Protection of Physical Safety: Worker’s psychological and physical safety is protected from hazards and risks related to the work’s physical work environment.

A lack of effective risk mitigation strategies and psychological safety-enhancing strategies across most of the above factors can contribute to burnout risks. In particular: clear leadership and expectations, psychological demands, growth and development, recognition and reward, involvement and influence, workload management and balance are some of the most likely areas of organizational risk associated with burnout.

Preventing and Recovering from Burnout

Burnout does not happen overnight. It is insidious and creeps in over time. Symptoms that may arise include: fatigue, pain, digestive problems, stomach ulcers, skin problems, disrupted sleep, weight loss or gain, frequent illnesses, constant loss of motivation with regard to work, detachment from work, pronounced irritability, spontaneous anger, feelings of incompetence, inefficiency and exhaustion, a desire to isolate oneself, a feeling of failure, a drop in self-confidence, anxiety, worry, insecurity, difficulty concentrating, loss of memory, difficulty in using good judgement, indecision, confusion, and in the most serious cases, suicidal thoughts.

Preventing Burnout

From a prevention perspective, it’s important to notice the flags and risks of burnout to mitigate them in yourself:

Pay attention to changes, such as sleep disturbances or increased irritability
When you notice flags, pause and reflect on what has become out of balance for you and implement strategies to get back on track:
- good sleep hygiene
- exercise
- healthy nutrition
- activities outside of work that bring you joy
If you are noticing systemic issues contributing to your burnout (i.e., unreasonable workload), talk with your leader early on to seek support in prioritizing and managing workload. Ask about mentorship or coaching opportunities.
Take breaks – leave your workspace and change your environment during a break.
Set boundaries – do this with emails and phone calls outside of work hours.

Recovering from Burnout

From a recovery perspective, it’s important to navigate to resources for support:

Seek support from a qualified psychotherapist (counsellor or psychologist) to help you recover and realign.
Find out about your work’s supports such as Employee Family Assistance Programs and Disability Management supports.
Understand your extended health benefits and utilize them.
Talk with your doctor about your burnout, and participate in medical interventions as needed.
Take time away or reduce your work schedule, if possible and/or needed.
Gradually return to work if you take a leave, and implement your new strategies to manage your health and wellness at work in a balanced way.
Understand that burnout is something that happened to you, not something you did, and recovery is within your power to achieve.
If you need to, and are able, consider changing jobs or companies if you are not supported to being healthy and well while at work.

My partner committed suicide. How do I move on?

9/11/2023

By Dr. Joti Samra, CEO & Founder of the Psychological Health & Safety (PH&S) Clinic and MyWorkplaceHealth

The question:

Almost three years ago my partner committed suicide. He suffered from depression. We were only dating for a year, but I find his death still gets to me. It’s especially difficult now for me to date people. I used to be a very patient, happy, joking person. Since it happened, I feel as though it’s a charade I’m putting on so my friends and family don’t notice the change. How can I move on?

The answer:

The death of someone we love is one of the most difficult life experiences we will ever face . As a society, we are terrible at dealing with and talking about death. We are never taught in schools what to say to someone who loses a loved one, despite the fact that all of us will, at some point in our lives, have to deal with the inevitable losses of those we care about.

Dealing with a death that occurs from suicide only adds more layers of complexity, confusion and, in some cases, self-blame that further amplifies what is often a difficult recovery to begin with. Those that are closest to someone who dies by suicide (partners, parents, children) are left with the biggest burden to carry. They are often left with myriad emotions: sadness, guilt, anger. Recreating past conversations, thinking you could have done or said something differently, questioning why you weren’t ‘enough’ for the person to not take their life – all are common thoughts for survivors.

Unfortunately so much misinformation, stigma and shame continues to be associated with suicide, making it even more difficult for your support system to know what to do or say, which then further prolongs the grieving process for survivors who are struggling to make sense of the nonsensical.

I’ve lost both an aunt and a cousin to suicide – and one of the things that stood out to me so strongly was how uncomfortable so many people were about their deaths. Friends and family that I knew to be caring and otherwise articulate stumbled through awkward conversations. Some avoided the topic altogether, others became visibly distressed, and others made well-meaning comments that were ultimately unhelpful. These are common themes I have heard again and again from patients and friends who have been affected by suicide.

When we talk about “moving on” or “getting over” a loss, what we really mean to do is find effective ways to cope. This includes maintaining positive memories and thoughts of your partner, while still getting back to all of the elements that make life worth living – which, in your case, includes dating.

It makes absolute sense that it’s difficult for you to date – you are in a self-protective mode, not wanting to make yourself vulnerable to another potential loss. There is no magic formula for how long or what the grief and recovery process looks like, as it is so individual. There is one thing I can say with certainty, however: Not processing your loss – having to present a facade to those that are close to you – will only prolong the ordeal.

I would start by opening yourself up to the idea of speaking about your loss, as there is so much therapeutic value in simply talking through the thoughts and emotions you’ll have inevitably bottled up. Consider approaching those closest you: Tell them you don’t need them to say anything, that you just want to talk through what’s in your head. If you feel reticent to approach those you know, I would strongly suggest seeking the support of a psychologist or other registered mental health/grief professional that has expertise in suicide to help you move on.

I would also seek support online. Some recommended websites are www.suicide.org, www.survivorsofsuicide.com and www.allianceofhope.org. Have faith that with time and with the support of someone you trust, you will be able to move forward in your life.

Excerpted from Dr. Joti Samra’s “Ask the Psychologist” weekly column in The Globe and Mail.

Coping with Suicidal Thoughts

28/9/2023

By Dr. Joti Samra, CEO & Founder of the Psychological Health & Safety (PH&S) Clinic and MyWorkplaceHealth

Coping with Suicidal Thoughts

If you’re thinking about suicide, you’re not alone. Many people have thoughts of suicide, for a number of reasons. Thoughts of suicide can be very scary and coping with suicidal thoughts may seem impossible. You probably feel hurt, confused, overwhelmed and hopeless about your future. You may feel sadness, grief, anger, guilt, shame, or emptiness. It’s easy to think that nothing can be done to change your situation. Your feelings may seem like they are just too much to handle right now.

It’s important to know that thinking about suicide does not mean that you will lose control or act on these thoughts. Having thoughts of suicide does not mean you are weak, or ‘crazy’. Many people think about suicide because they are looking for a way to escape the pain they’re feeling. Even though your situation seems hopeless and you wonder if you can stand another minute of feeling this bad, there are ways to get through this and feel better. You don’t have to face this situation alone. Help is available.

Coping with Suicidal Thoughts Right Now

If you’re experiencing suicidal thoughts now and are possibly feeling unsafe, here are some things you can do right now.

Connect with others. If you’re feeling unsafe and have strong urges to hurt yourself, tell someone. If you can’t reach anyone or don’t have anyone to talk to in your personal life, call 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) in BC, or look up an equivalent hotline in your area. Don’t be alone. Ask someone you trust to come over. If you can’t have someone come to you, consider being in public, where there are other people.
Make your environment safe. Get rid of things that could be used to hurt or kill yourself, such as pills, razor blades, or guns.
Find a comforting distraction – a favourite show, music or a long bath for example. Do not use alcohol or drugs.
If you still feel unsafe, consider going to your local emergency room or call 911.

Once you feel like you are out of immediate danger of harming yourself you can take the time to consider long term solutions to coping with suicidal thoughts.

Make A Safety Plan

Making a safety plan can be very helpful in getting you through those distressing times where you feel unsafe. Having a plan ahead of time ensures you know who you can call and have those people prepared to support you, as well as what activities and places can help you to get through the worst moments.

One of the best people to make a safety plan with is a professional, as they are familiar with the process and can help you to brainstorm ideas for the plan when you’re feeling hopeless. If you’re not already connected with a registered psychologist or counsellor we suggest you do so. With the help of professionals and the support of family and friends, you can learn about what is causing your suffering and how you can change or manage it.

If you or someone you love is at immediate risk of injury or death, call 911.

Self-Screening Measures

1/6/2023

By Dr. Joti Samra, CEO & Founder of the Psychological Health & Safety (PH&S) Clinic and MyWorkplaceHealth

Keeping track of our current mental health condition can be difficult. We may be experiencing issues with our mental health but not realize it for several reasons. Such as; living with it our entire life and not knowing the difference, having these problems come on so gradually that we do not notice them, having others telling us that we “are fine”, attributing the issue to something else, or just not thinking that the issue is concerning. This is where self-screening measures can come in handy.

What are “Self-Screening Measures”?

These different self-screening measures work by asking you a range of questions (normally multiple choice). Your answers to these questions will help the test asses your current mental condition.

Important: While these different measures may be good at giving an assessment of your mental health, they should not be taken as fact. In other words, if you believe you are having mental health problems, it’s best to see a professional for an assessment.

What’s Your Stress Index?
CMHA.ca/Whats-Your-Stress-Index
A quiz that is based entirely on stress. Stress is one of those areas of mental health that can go unnoticed sometimes, but it is also one of the biggest factors for developing a more severe mental health problem. Just like the other quizzes, this one should only be used as a starting point for assessing your stress level.

Work-Life Balance Quiz
CMHA.ca/Work-Life-Balance-Quiz
In society today it is becoming more and more common for individuals to have multiple responsibilities/jobs in their daily life. Someone may have to deal with their work responsibilities, while also being a parent, supporting their partner and possibly their friends. This can make it hard for someone to find time to focus on themselves. This quiz is designed to help you figure out how well you are balancing the many different aspects of your life.

Here to Help
HeretoHelp.bc.ca
A comprehensive website that includes a range of screening self-tests, fact sheets, and interactive toolkits for individuals with mental health issues and their families. Resources exist on a range of areas, including: Abuse; Alcohol & Substance Use; Anxiety Disorders; Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; Bipolar Disorder; Depression; and Eating Disorders.

Foundry
FoundryBC.ca
An organization designed to help youth and young adults in British Columbia check out how they’re feeling and quickly connect to mental health resources and support. Support includes education, self-care tools, website links, and assistance in connecting to local professional resources. A range of self-check quizzes, as well as self-care and family/friend resources are provided.

Mental Health Meter
CMHA.ca/Mental-Health-Meter
This quiz accesses your score based on areas that have been shown to be involved with good mental health. These are areas like Ability to Enjoy Life, Resilience, Balance, Self-actualization and Flexibility. This quiz gives a more clear overview of your current mental health incase you are feeling like you do not know where to start (i.e. anxiety, depression).

Causes of Suicidal Thoughts: Helping You Better Understand Your Suicidal Thoughts

What is Burnout

My partner committed suicide. How do I move on?

Coping with Suicidal Thoughts

Self-Screening Measures

PH&S Clinic

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