I Am Supporting Someone

Often when we realize someone is struggling with thoughts of suicide we panic and think we have nothing to offer the individual.  The first step to supporting any individual is to just  Be There. Your presence and your willingness to see and understand what is going on is enough. Be brave enough to ask the question, are you thinking about suicide and know what to do when the answer is yes.

• People think about suicide for different reasons.
• If you are worried someone may be thinking about suicide, talk to them.  Ask them about how they are feeling.
• Talking to someone about suicidal thoughts does not make them more likely to end their life.
• You can help someone who is feeling suicidal by listening without judging them.
• You can support someone to thinking about other options to deal with their feelings such as accessing support anonymously, through a web service, or through their doctor.
• Small gestures such as saying hello or asking how a person is today can sometimes make a big difference to how someone is feeling.
• Never promise to keep things a secret, offer to be discreet instead.
• If someone is in crisis you need to get help from mental health services or emergency services.
• Get the individual to take one action.  Some options are creating a safety plan, calling a help line together, making a doctors appointment, or going to a walk in clinic.
• If the individual tries to end their life, this is not your fault.
• Helping someone with suicidal thoughts is likely to have a big impact on you.  Talk to your doctor or seek counselling for yourself.

Know when your compassion fatigue starts showing.  Things like having less patience, missing meals, having trouble paying attention are just a few examples, what are your signs?  If you don’t know, ask someone close to you.  This is a sign you need to take a step back and let someone else step in.  If you are supporting someone who is struggling with mental health or suicide getting a doctor involved as soon as possible and encouraging the individual to create a safety plan  that encourages several people or supports that are available when you are not, is important.