GEORGE TOWN: There are signs. There are always signs before someone attempts to commit suicide, said Rachel Lau, who lost her brother eight years ago.

       “They become withdrawn and lose interest in what used to bring them joy. They give away their treasured belongings and jokingly talk about wanting to harm themselves, ” said Lau, 36.Looking back, she saw numerous signs in her 24-year-old brother in the six months before he took his own life.

       One of the first hints was when her brother, who was an engineer, gave away his beloved Golden Retriever, saying he expected to be transferred overseas.

       “When he did not leave the country, we thought he was busy with work and did not have time for the dog.

       “It was odd as he loved the dog and raised it from the time it was a puppy, but we did not prod him about it, ” she said.

       Lau said her family wished they had acted and it took them a while to stop blaming themselves.

       She urged families to look out for such signs and not disregard the person’s “jokes” about suicide.

       “If they tell you they wish they are no longer around, don’t ignore it. Tell those closest to that person so they can keep an eye on them, ” she said.

       Lau said her younger brother had struggled with work pressure.

       He was once jovial and loved going to the gym but he suddenly stopped doing so.

       “We knew he spoke with a work counsellor. He told me about it. He also mentioned about not wanting to be around anymore.”

       “I wanted to arrange for him to meet a therapist but days later, he ended his life, ” said Lau, who is a medical services representative.

       Her brother, she added, must have contemplated the deed for half an hour because “based on security camera footage, he entered the building at 8am. He fell at 8.30am”.

       Writer Muhammad Khairul Zainal Abidin, 33, spoke about having dark episodes in his life when he thought of suicide.

       He described feeling profoundly sad and that eventually, therapy helped him.

       “Signs vary with each person. In my case, I became withdrawn.

       “I was clinically diagnosed with depression when I was 22 but it started much earlier.

       “There were many contributing factors. Mine stemmed from loneliness, ” he recalled.

       Muhammad Khairul’s family moved around a lot, so he did not have much chance to form long-term friendships.

       These days, he is able to cope without medication but said he still has his “moments”.

       Muhammad Khairul said there was a time a few years ago when he felt suicidal almost every day.

       “I did not act on them but it was always at the back of my mind.”

       He buried himself in work.

       “When you have to be somewhere and answer to superiors, it helps you to focus, ” he said.

       He has advice to share with those feeling depressed.

       “Do not keep your woes inside you for too long. Speak out, ” he said.

       Muhammad Khairul urged people to keep a look out when their friends make emotional posts on social media or appear withdrawn.

       “If they are not eating much and sleep a lot, it is also a sign, ” he added.