How to Help Someone Who is Suicidal

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If you or someone you care about is in immediate danger of committing suicide, call 911 or your local emergency number and reach out to a mental health professional immediately.
Do you have a gut feeling someone you know is thinking about suicide? Maybe you don’t know how to approach them. According to research, it’s better to do something than simply ignore it. Watch this video to find out more.

If you are feeling depressed or contemplating suicide please remember that you are not alone.

Suicide Hotlines:
America: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
Canada: 1-866-531-2600
Australia: 13 11 14
United Kingdom: +44 (0) 8457 90 90 90
Beijing: 0800-810-1117
Hong Kong: +852 28 960 000
Japan/Tokyo: 81 (0) 3 5286 9090
Brazil: 55 11 31514109 or (91) 3223-0074
Mexico: 9453777
Germany: 0800 111 0 111
Russia: (495) 625 3101
India: 91-22-27546669
Iran: 1480
South Africa: 0800 12 13 14

This is only a short list of a few countries, however there is always somebody to reach out to.

Thanks Coursera x John Hopkins for sponsoring this video. We earn a commission if you choose to get a certificate of completion.

Disclaimer: The information in this video is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information, contained in this video is for general information purposes only and does not replace a consultation with your own doctor/health professional

Writer: Michal Mitchell
Script Editor & Manager: Kelly Soong
VO: Amanda Silvera
Animator: Evelvaii
YouTube Manager: Cindy Cheong

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Want To Eliminate Your Stress? Keep Reading

Has stress taken over your life? Are you tired of feeling overwhelmed? You can learn how to find the peace and calm in your life and watch your stresses float away. We have provided you with the tips you need to get out from unset your stress and take control of your life.

To handle stress in your life, start by minimizing stress in your life. Something as simple as laying out your work clothing for the next day can give you a better start in the morning; it may give you a few extra minutes to relax as well, instead of running around looking for a stray shoe or favorite blue sweater.

In order to keep your stress level under control, try writing an extremely graphic or obscene letter on paper that releases all of your aggression verbally. Many people feel better after making sense of it by writing it out. Write as though nobody will ever read it, and write as vividly as possible. Destroy it thoroughly afterward.

Call an old friend who you have not spoken to for a long time and catch up on where they are in life. This will bring back the memories that you had with them, which will make you feel great for the rest of the day. Rekindling an old friendship is a great way to eliminate stress.

Take a mental break. Just daydream for a few minutes. Look outside and find something natural that allows your imagination to roam. Look at the wind blowing through the trees, or the clouds rolling by. Space out for a few minutes and it will help your stress level.

Go out for a walk. Walking will force you to breath more deeply and improve your circulation. If you’re able, walking outside is most enjoyable. However walking inside will work as well. Whichever you choose, just get up and move! It will help calm you and alleviate some stress.

One way to manage your stress is to take an amount of money that you can do without and spend it on something completely unnecessary that you might have always wanted. This will help to clear your mind and give you a sense of power and self accomplishment.

Often times those who find themselves under a lot of stress are simply there because they put too much on their plates. A simple way to solve this is simply cut down on the concurrent activities and responsibilities. In this way you will slowly get back to a clear level headed state.

To more effectively manage stress, learn to let go of things you have no control over. Try to discern which things you do have control over and separate them, mentally, from those you don’t have control over. By separating the issues, you will find it easier to worry less about things.

The idea that laughter is the best medicine is especially true for stressful situations. Most biologists now believe that laughing evolved as a response to a stressful or dangerous situation, so take advantage of your own body’s biology and find a way to make yourself laugh. Even if you are unable to laugh for real, fake laughing can also release tension.

A great tip that can combat stress is to never let yourself engage in gossip. Everyone knows that if they gossip, it’ll eventually come back to haunt them. Unless you want to deal with a difficult situation in the future, you should steer clear of gossiping at all times.

Eating right will help you control your stress level in life. Food nourishes your body and helps you to control your emotions much better. The more fruits and vegetables you eat, the more energy that you will have to deal with situations that may otherwise overwhelm you without feeling as stressed.

To keep from feeling stressed after quitting smoking, take breaks as frequently as you did when you smoked cigarettes. One of the primary reasons cigarettes relieve stress is that they give people a break from their hectic lifestyles. Instead of smoking, get up and stretch, get a drink of water, or anything simple that will make you feel more relaxed.

Make sure that you stay as organized as possible for school. Running around trying to find the paper that you want will add a lot of stress to your day. Try to compartmentalize all of your papers and subjects together to limit the tension that you face in your day.

When you wake up in the morning, take a vitamin B supplement, which will help to level out your mood and put you in a positive state of mind. This is a great way to start your day, and it will allow you to combat stress from the inside out on a daily basis.

Making sure that you plan ahead is a great way to reduce your stress. If your vehicle is low on gas, go ahead and fill up now rather than waiting until it’s empty.

One great tip to remember when battling stress is to inhale deeply every now and then. Deep breathing exercises can temporarily calm a person down, and if they are done over time, they can have permanent effects on stress levels.

Aromatherapy is a great way to fight stress. Carry a small capped vial with the essential oil of either lavender, chamomile or jasmine and any time you start to feel a little stressed out, uncap your vial and inhale deeply. Lavender is known to alleviate anger and tension while jasmine is used to relieve nervousness. Chamomile is most often used for its calming abilities and is also often claimed to help with physical pain as well.

Now that you know that you do not have to succumb to stress, your mind should be more at ease. Peace and calm and a sense of well-being is all possible, so is eliminating the stress from your life. Don’t let stress weigh you down! Put your new skills to the test and feel the peace.