Recognizing suicidal thoughts in yourself or a loved one can be scary.
But, not everyone with bipolar disorder is affected by these symptoms. And there are things that you can do to help decrease the risk of acting on these thoughts and even the frequency of suicidal thoughts if you experience them, experts say.
1. Stick to Your Bipolar Disorder Treatment
As mentioned earlier, many people with bipolar disorder who die by suicide are not following a treatment plan for the condition. “Professional treatment is a huge aspect of managing the risk of suicide, and can help monitor symptoms and provide necessary support,” says Fenkel.
- Medication Medicines like mood stabilizers or antipsychotics, for instance, can help reduce your bipolar symptoms and balance your moods, both acutely and in the long term.
- Psychotherapy Attending psychotherapy (also known as “talk therapy”) with a licensed mental health professional can help you learn to manage triggers and difficult emotions, and practice strategies for managing your bipolar symptoms.
- Hospitalization If you’re behaving dangerously, feeling imminently suicidal, or develop psychosis (meaning you become detached from reality and have hallucinations or delusions), you may need to receive psychiatric treatment in a hospital. Doing so can help stabilize your mood and keep you calm.
- Intensive Outpatient or Partial Hospitalization Programs These offer several hours of treatment daily for a period of several weeks, either to prevent hospitalization or to support you after discharge.
- Treatment for Substance Misuse Without treating substance use issues, it can be hard to manage bipolar disorder.
- Support Groups Support groups for people with bipolar disorder can help you connect with and find support from others going through similar challenges in their lives.
Never make changes to your treatment plan without talking to your doctor, or suddenly stop taking your medication. “Going off of medication completely can increase the risk for destabilization and contribute to worsening psychiatric symptoms,” says Justin Kei, MD, a psychiatrist and the medical director of the Debra Simon Center for Integrative Behavioral Health and Wellness at Hackensack Meridian Health in Maywood, New Jersey.
2. Limit Access to Tools That Can Be Used for Suicide
Restricting access to tools that a person might use to end their life, such as firearms, can play a big role in keeping them safe. “Removing access to weapons has been shown to help reduce suicide risk,” says Dr. Kei.
3. Create a Safety Plan With Your Therapist or Loved Ones
A safety plan is a tool that can help someone with suicidal thoughts and their loved ones protect them in the event of a suicidal crisis. “Developing a safety plan can also help to alleviate some of the risk,” says Fenkel. “This involves identifying triggers, warning signs, and coping strategies to manage suicidal thoughts.”
You can create a safety plan with loved ones you trust if you feel comfortable doing so or with your therapist or psychiatric provider, using templates like the one provided by Samaritans, a suicide prevention organization in the United Kingdom.
