Best Tips for Suicide Prevention – Here is all you need to know
People who are suicidal in the vast majority of situations are coping with depression that will eventually improve if they get the support they require. Family and friends may do a lot to aid those sad or considering suicide while they wait for help.
Do you know someone who may be at risk?
Teenagers & young adults have thought of suicide in the last year. One of them may be familiar to you since so many individuals. Your friend or classmate; a member of your sports organization, dance class, or theater group; a member of your community center, chapel, or place of worship; or someone you know from social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, or online multiplayer games could be the person you're talking about. Identifying someone who is in danger may be done by anybody. In many cases, a concerned family member or friend is the first one to notice if anything is amiss.
Observe the Symptoms
Detecting the warning indicators of suicidal behavior is the first step toward prevention.
• Mood swings of the extreme kind
• Disillusionment with the future
• donating one's belongings
• Losing interest in the things you used to like
• Discussing suicide or death
• Having to say farewell to loved ones
• Suggesting that they really are a burden on you
• Withdrawal from close relatives and friends
Any attempt or threat of suicide should be regarded very seriously. Suicide Prevention Helpline recommends the following strategies for preventing suicide.
Don't Ignore Their Emotions
Although you may believe their difficulties aren't severe enough to justify suicidal thoughts or actions, what counts is how painful they think they are. If it is essential to them, suicide may seem to be a viable alternative in their minds. Listen without passing judgment on what they're saying. Don't brush off their feelings or experiences.
Above all, don't dismiss suicide attempt talk or threats. If someone makes statements that imply that they are despondent or contemplating suicide, you should take them seriously.
Consider suicide to be a cry for help.
Even when someone tries suicide, it does not always indicate that they wish to die. Instead, it is a sign that they are experiencing severe emotional distress and are unsure of coping with it effectively. Suicide has begun to seem like their only alternative for escaping a circumstance that they are ill-equipped to deal with on their own. If they were still alive, however, they may be urgently seeking an alternative to death, and that attempted suicide is their way to reach out and express their need for assistance.
Be an Active Listener
Talking with a supportive friend and unburdening yourself from your problems may go a long way toward alleviating the intolerable build-up of stress that might lead to attempted suicide.
Being a great listener does not need the acquisition of any unique abilities. Be patient and tolerant, but avoid engaging in a heated debate or offering simple answers to the problem at hand.
It's best to avoid remarks like "Have you attempted X, Y, or Z?" or anything that focuses on fast "solutions." Such efforts may come off as insensitive and minimize the difficulties that a person is through in their life. Simply being there and demonstrating your concern is sufficient.
Advising Them to Seek Assistance
Even though some suicides seem to have occurred out of nowhere, it is quite probable that the individual had already been depressed for an extended period prior to taking their own life. Therefore, to avoid suicide, it is essential to seek professional help when you see indicators of depressive symptoms.
When we work together to remove the stigma associated with depression and encourage those suffering to get assistance as soon as they can, we can save more lives because the issue is addressed before it becomes too severe.
Inquire about their suicidal thoughts
While you may be frightened of giving people ideas by bringing up the subject of suicide, the truth is that such thoughts and sentiments occur regardless of what one says. By bringing up the issue, you are effectively giving people an opportunity to set up with you & allow you to assist them.
Don't Leave Them on Their Own
Do not let them alone if they appear to be at immediate risk of harming themselves. Take precautions to keep them away from every weapon or medicine they may use to harm themselves.
Encourage them to seek the services of a professional
Encourage them to set up an appointment with such a psychological health professional, even if it takes time and patience. Then, once they have scheduled an appointment, stay in touch with them to urge them to keep their appointments and follow through with their treatment plans.
Also available for more information are mental health groups, which may be contacted directly.
Recognize that secrets may be lethal.
If someone begs you not to tell anybody, you may have to breach your commitment to assisting them. It is better to keep your family member or close friend alive, even if they are upset with you, than to honor a commitment that leads to their ending their own life.
