![]() ![]() If, on the other hand, “you feel unsure whether the person’s immediate safety is at risk, and you are unable to come up with a solid safety plan with them, your best bet is to get them to a hospital to be seen immediately,” Chackes says. “And if they don’t have a therapist, find a crisis line that they can call to talk to someone if the thoughts strengthen or get too intense.” Ensure that they get an appointment set up as soon as possible,” Schultz advises. “Encourage them to call their therapist if they have one-even offer to help them make that call. Similarly, if your friend is majorly depressed but doesn’t appear to have suicidal thoughts at this time, you should encourage them to make an appointment. If your friend expressed suicidal thoughts in the past but appears to be doing better, it’s probably best if you simply ensure they talk to a therapist. After having this important conversation with your friend, choose the appropriate intervention method: It is important you treat this situation as an emergency because it is an emergency-it’s a matter of life and death. Remember, people who are suicidal are in pain, and they just want that pain to go away.” “It’s a common myth that those who are suicidal don’t seek help, but in fact, many people reach out in some way, and often that is to friends and family before a mental health professional. ![]() “If someone you know is openly talking about taking their own life or even showing symptoms of deep depression and hopelessness, it’s time to speak up,” says Dr. The very fact that you’re worried about your friend is reason enough. Whether or not your friend appears to be an immediate threat to his or herself, it’s likely time to reach out to somebody. If they answer yes to any of these questions, then follow up with this question: “Do you have the tools to carry out that plan?” Asking these questions will allow you to better gauge the severity of this matter and help you to decide which step you need to take next. Do you think this world would be better off without you?.Do you have thoughts or feelings of hurting or harming yourself?.Here are a few questions Carrie Krawiec, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, says you could ask: ![]() Sometimes, an individual’s suicidal ideation isn’t so obvious-but if you do have the slightest suspicion that your friend might be suicidal or is thinking about suicide, be direct and ask them about it. Now, it’s time to take a more active role in the conversation. First, just really listen and show your concern by your body language and compassionate statements,” Licensed Psychologist Laura Chackes advises. “It is important to give lots of empathy to help them feel comfortable sharing and hold back from trying to fix what they’re going through or giving them any advice. More than likely, they want to be heard and get things off their chest,” Patrick Schultz, Licensed Professional Counselor, explains.įurthermore, your friend needs your empathy and compassion now more than ever. “If they are suicidal, even passively, listen to them. If your friend is indeed suicidal, that means they’re hurting immensely-and they likely want to get these feelings out into the open. Here’s a little bit about what you should do and shouldn’t do when it comes to helping them: Providing Steadfast Supportįirst and foremost, you need to serve as that steadfast support system. That said, it is incredibly important that we do discuss the matter and get our loved ones the help that they need. A lot of emotions can be involved, and you certainly don’t want to make this person feel worse. Suicide isn’t an easy topic to think about, let alone discuss-especially with an individual you suspect is suicidal. ![]()
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