What if Someone You Care About it Suicidal?

by Jennifer Orleans, PhD

It's a nightmare; you've got a friend who's really down, and you've been worried about him or her for a while. Now you've discovered that your friend is suicidal. It's understandable if you're terrified; this is a serious situation, and you want to handle it the right way. What should you do?

First, some facts. If you know something about the statistics and risk factors for suicide, you're in a better position to evaluate what's going on and to help your friend.

The Facts about Suicide

Risk Factors

Please note that many people have one or more risk factors and are not suicidal; for instance, just because your friend is an impulsive person who's had a few rough times lately certainly doesn't mean that he'll try to kill himself.

Warning Signs

There is no "typical" suicide victim, but there are some common warning signs to look for. A person might be suicidal if she or he:

Some of the feelings and things a suicidal person might be experiencing:

How to Help

Here are some ways to be helpful to someone who is suicidal:

There are definitely things you can do to help, as noted above. But as hard as it can be to truly accept, remember that you aren't responsible for the decisions your friend makes. Ultimately, you can't (and shouldn't) be in charge of someone else's life.

References:
American Association of Suicidology. "Understanding and Helping the Suicidal Person." Accessed August 22, 2000. http://www.suicidology.org/understandingsuicide.htm

National Institute of Mental Health (U.S.). "Suicide Facts [Statistics]" Accessed August 22, 2000. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/research/suifact.htm

National Institute of Mental Health (U.S.). "Suicide Facts" Accessed August 22, 2000. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/suicidefacts.cfm

The Surgeon General's Call To Action To Prevent Suicide, 1999 (U.S.). "At a Glance: Suicide Among the Young." Accessed August 22, 2000. http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/calltoaction/fact3.htm

Article courtesy of 98six.com
"Where Health and Reality Meet."





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