For Friends of Loved Ones

What Not to Say to the Attempter for Friends of Loved Ones

ByAttempted Suicide Help October 23, 2012November 6, 2012

What you should not do or say to a loved one of a suicide attempter

Don’t tell them

Their loved one didn’t want to die
That you know how they feel if you truly don’t
What they should or shouldn’t be doing
What they should or shouldn’t be feeling or thinking
How to act
What they should have done or said different before the attempt
Their loved one will go to hell
They will go to hell
Do not use religion or God as a weapon

Do not

Ignore them or the situation. It is ok to ask about the suicide attempt and to ask about the attempter and their health. Do not just pretend as thought nothing has happened.
Make assumptions about what lead up to the attempt
Make assumptions about how your friend is feeling or what they are thinking