Helping Someone With Suicidal Thoughts
Helping someone with suicidal thoughts is possible.
If someone you know is having suicidal thoughts there is help and hope.
I know you are anxious, scared, and worried.
Here are things you need to do, and answers to questions you may have.
Do not leave your loved one alone. If they are not in the same geographic location as you, find someone to go to them and stay with them. This is a non negotiable. This is not just for an hour. You may need to stay with them for a few days. Feeling isolated is one of the many things people who are having suicidal thoughts report feeling. You may feel isolated while trying to help them also. Do not give up.
Remove all means of causing harm and death. If there are guns, take them and put them somewhere they can’t be accessed. Remove all pills, alcohol, drugs, razors, knives, ropes, string, twine, take away car keys, etc. While you are in crisis and concerned you must use common sense. You don’t want to lose your loved one and they, most likely, do not want to die. They just want the pain they are in to cease.
Call for help. 1-800-273-TALK, in the United States, is answered by live people and they will patch you through to resources in your geographic area. They are there to listen, provide resources, and help. There are a lot of suicide prevention organizations. There are links to reach them on this website. Reach out to them. Ask for help. Call local resources, doctors, therapists or people you trust. I can assure you, without a doubt in my soul, there are so many people who will do what ever it takes to help you and to help keep your loved one alive until they can feel mentally well again. Do not give up.
One question we all ask:
“Will the person having suicidal thoughts be mad at me for telling someone?”
They may be angry with you. They may say very hurtful, public things about how you are not trustworthy, no longer their friend, and how you don’t really care about them. That is a risk we all take. When everything is resolved you may end up not being friends anymore. You may not be as close as you were for some time after this event. Whatever happens, I can tell you when you look back on this time you will feel better if you are confident you did all you could for the person you love.
