How To Help a Friend or Loved One Who is Suicidal

If you think that a friend or loved one may be suicidal, you likely will become anxious and nervous. This is how most people feel in this situation. Following are some tips to help you in this situation:

• Often when someone confides in you that they are thinking of committing suicide they will plead with you to keep it a secret. Do not agree to be sworn to be secrecy. While you could lose their trust and even end a relationship, you just may save a life.
• Trust your instinct if you think the person is at risk being self-destructive. Your suspicions say they are while they say no – follow your gut.
• Never leave a person you alone if you believe they may act on their suicidal thoughts quickly.

Be a friend, a Good Listener

Let your friend or relative know that you are deeply concerned about them. Engage them and be a good active listener. Let them know they have your support no matter how troubled they are. Attempt to find out if the person is just thinking about suicide or has already determined the how, when and where of the act. The more in depth their plan is, the greater the risk that they will act on it.

• Avoid acting shocked or disapproving of whatever is revealed to you.
• People who talk about suicide need professional counseling – do not try to counsel them yourself.
• Encourage your friend or loved one to seek help; advise them to contact a psychologist, a school counselor or someone from the clergy.
• The morality of suicide is not the issue. Making it so may only serve to make a suicidal person feel more guilt.
• Do not tell them everything will be alright if they will not. Instead, acknowledge that the problems they have are painful but that things can be dealt with – imperfectly perhaps, but better than look at present. They feel a great deal of pain but they are not stupid – honesty is best.

You can Help

Try to put aside your own fear and concentrate on listening and getting the person help. The responsibility you have had thrust upon you is scary, but by following these tips you might just defuse the situation.

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