Samuel Roll, UNM professor emeritus and psychologist, said almost everyone who commits suicide goes through a period of contemplation.
Suicidal individuals have a truncated sense of time, he said.
"If they can't see past the week or can't anticipate Christmas or next semester, this is a bad sign," Roll said.
About 95 percent of college-age individuals who attempt or commit suicide suffer from mental illness, including depression and anxiety disorders.
Females attempt suicide three times more than males, but males succeed at committing suicide three times more than women, Roll said.
"This is because men are less likely to look for help and use more lethal methods," he said.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
A high proportion of people who attempt suicide have had a close family member commit or attempt suicide, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Web site.
Suicide is an ambivalent phenomena, Roll said.
"No matter how much someone wants to die, they also want to live," he said.
The key, Roll said, is to get a suicidal individual talking.
"If you can get someone who is suicidal to talk about it, the chance he or she will commit suicide is automatically reduced," he said.
Talking about it cannot give someone the idea to commit suicide, Roll said.
"I could say it 64 times, and if you're not suicidal, you won't do it," he said.
Roll said during a period of contemplation, suicidal individuals might:
* Experience change in eating or
sleeping habits
* Withdraw from friends and family
* Glorify or romanticize death
* Talk about the dead as if they're near or alive
* Give away precious personal items
According to the American Association of Suicidology, other signs of suicidal behavior include:
* Talk of committing suicide
* Loss of interest in school or
hobbies
* Lack of interest in personal
appearance
* An increase in alcohol or drug use
