Feeling suicidal or want to help someone

[Hottie]

I had a suicide prevention awareness programme today. It was from 10.00am to 1.30pm. My god was it intence and my anxiety was sky high due to this being a topic close to home. Suicide is a topic that plays on my mind so it was quite difficult to have sat thru it, but i did and now hold a certificate in Suicide Alertness!

Firstly, please read this is you are feeling suicidal or having suicidal thoughts - Suicide: Read This First

Secondly, please continue reading on if you still feel the same way - Suicide - Do you need a reason... to live or to die?

Thirdly, give yourself today - If you are thinking of suicide... | Rethink, The Leading Severe Mental Illness Charity

And lastly, if you are unsure who or where to go - NIMH · How to Find Help

SUICIDE CAN BE PREVENTED

Thoughts of suicide are dangerous. All persons with thoughts of suicide should be taken seriously. Distinctions that lead to regarding one person's thoughts of suicide as more serious then other's are almose as dangerous of suicide. This does not mean that all personss at risk need the same help.
While thinking of suicide may be difficult if not impossible to prevent, preventing thoughts of suicide from moving on to become suicidel actions is achieveable. Almost all persons are risk actively 'invite' help and retain within them the desire to live, even if they are no longer in touch with that life force.In other words, persons are ambivalent about suicide.
A care giver often only needs to help prevent the immediate risk of suicide in order to stop it for some period of time, maybe for a life time. To have thought about suicide and be turned away from it, can make it clear that one has a choice....even the choice to live life fully.

HELP SEEKING FOR AN INDIVIDUAL IS ENCOURAGED BY OPEN, DIRECT, AND HONEST TALK ABOUT SUICIDE

All forms of help-seeking about suicide need to be encouraged. A decision to live is far more likly when a person at risk can make it in the company of a helper who is comfortable talking about suicide (as many people are not). The simple and yet profound first approach to any person at risk should be "lets talk". That message regards the disclosure of thought of suicide as a potential "new begining".
Help seeking is supported by access to many kinds of resources that can provide help. Crisis line workers, persons aware of the danger of suicide and trained suicide interveners are some of the key resources needed to make help seeking creditable.
Without available resources, the suggestion that persons at risk seek help is cruel at best. Persons who inform or teach others about suicide should also be able sustain open, direct and honest talk about suicide should a person in attendance be at risk of suicide, have someone close to them who is at risk of suicide or be struggleing with past suicide.

NOTICING SIGNS AND HOW TO APPROCAH A PERSON

T.A.L.K.

(1) For me/you as a helper...

Tell - these are 'invitations' that show us a person may be considering suicide. Invitations as in body language, tone of voice, speed of talking, crying, upset, depressed, anxious etc. People will usually have some sort of signs to show they are not happy. Some invitations may also be people becoming withdrawn, distressed, moody, care-less, alcohol/drug misuse, alone, no purpose, escape, burden, desperate, numb, ashamed, abuse, rejection, losses, suicidel experience etc. When we notice this, please take a minute to stop and talk to the person (i know with SA proberly not likly ha!) and get them to tell you whats going on

Ask - When we notice somebody who is feeling upset, hopeless, angry, depressed, anxious, defeated, helpless (the invitations to tell us they are struggleing) etc., the person maybe thinking about suicide or be ready to act upon it. They may not be thinking about it either, but what if they are...and you have completely ignored it and found out the next day they commited suicide? We learnt to be direct - ask straight out "are you thinking about suicide", "i know the pressue is alot to handle, and im wondering are you considering suicide?" etc. These questions should be initatied after you first say something to the person and the 'invitation' signs are there. These direct q's may allow one to open up and reconigse people care.

Listen - If a person admits to having these thoughts, tell them "okay, lets talk about it, i am listening" etc. This also allows a person time to maybe reconsider there choices and thoughts. For someone considering suicide they feel no other option is available and for someone to show an interest may just give them hope; as said somewhere above they mat see a "new begining".

KeepSafe (that is the organisation doing the training) - I have to say (if its a person on the street, park etc.) to somebody who i suicidel, "okay we may need some extra help with this, i want to connect you with somebody from KeepSafe". I know alot of other organisations that i can suggest.

Because i work in a helpline, alot of times i will be dealing with this will be on the phone. So we then refer the client on to other organisations, but we now have learnt that if a person has alot going on, to ask the DIRECLY, are they having these thoughts, even if they havnt previously mentioned it. Its worth the risk to ask, if a life may be saved. Sure after all, what is one question compared to one life?

If you are feeling suicidal, have been bereavd by suicide, or might know somebody who may be suicidal here ares some contact details. Or if you dont want to take any options above and below, please please please do not be afraid to PM me at all.

24 hour crisis line in the USA...
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:
Tel: 1800 273 (talk) 8255
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - With Help Comes Hope

Crisis line listings in Canada...
Centre for Suicide Prevention:
Tel: +1 (403) 245 3900
Centre For Suicide Prevention - Welcome

24-hour crisis line in Australia:
Lifeline
Tel: 13 11 14
Lifeline Australia 13 11 14 - Suicide Prevention, Crisis Support & Mental Health services - Lifeline | Connect with someone who cares

Samaritans
Tel: 1850 60 90 90
E-mail: [email protected]
Text: 087 260 90 90
Samaritans Home Page-->

 

[EasySkanking]

Thanks for sharing hottie . I hope it does someone some good. I know there are times when I get very close to needing it.

 

[Beatrice]

For some reason when I feel suicidal I always go to these sites, I guess because I want someone (or something) to tell me I don't have to die. But of course, the comfort only lasts for so long and it's getting harder to find positives :/

 

[lunarla]

I know that my own feelings and thoughts of suicide were scary, but it's almost even scarier when someone else is telling you that they're thinking about committing suicide. It's definitely good to have some idea of how to react.... For me, the intense feeling of actually wanting to die in a certain moment was only temporary. It passes. All Things Must Pass

YouTube - All Things Must Pass

 

[Deus_Ex_Lemur]

Suicide, you shall NOT PASS!

YouTube - YOU SHALL NOT PASS

Your video reminded me that scene, Lunarla =) Awesome video btw Lunarla thanks. Balrog is those bad thoughts/suicidal thoughts, gotta crush it. =)

Anyways, I cant find some post I replied to you Beat, where you remarked about suicide, I cant find it, but Lun is right, it passes... you gotta lot to live for, may not seem so now. But you will =)

AND HOTTIE thanks for post and the links and your work; this is stuff everyone here should look at as I know too many folks here have these thoughts, and it's sad =(

 

[lunarla]

Hahaha, definitely a good analogical video as well, Lemur!

 

[kerunia]

I personally never called any of these numbers. Its to embarrassing to have to tell your intention .But isnt it like second guessing and its like youre calling because you already know that someone is going to tell you not to die... Its cheesy and I don't want a random person telling me not to die , he cant get into my shoes, he doesn't fully know what happened to me, he doesnt care and im not going to spend hours telling my story...For me this whole suicide hotline doesnt make sense. I wouldnt even call my friends if I ever felt like dying. Maybe its because of my SA..who knows.

 

[Hottie]

Yes it maybe cheesy to you, but there are plenty of other people out there who's lives have been saved because of ringing helplines and recieving the proper treatment.
Yes people who have suicide planned, they are different, you may try to change their plan, but some peoples mind you cannot change. Some people just need to see a different light.

But i think the statistics of deaths due to suicide is unreal. Here in Ireland, where i am from it it 4times greater than RTA deaths. So if putting barriers up beside a road can save one's life, then i think a helpline is a very good investment for trying to save someones life.

BTW, i work in a helpline and i can promise you that the people behind the phones DO care. I have come home after taking calls and been really worried about some people from calls i have gotten. What you dont know is what goes on behind the phone...
But just to make a comparison, if a person who listens to you on the phone does care and is just doing their job, do counsellors/theripsts really care doing their job?

But i do take your point on board kerunia, hotlines are not for some people. But, you cant dis it till you've tried it! Also i think you may have some stigma attached within you view...