When someone is Suicidal - Conversations

The American Foundation for suicide Prevention has a great resource website and you can find that at
https://afsp.org/

One of the great pages on their site is this one
​https://talkawaythedark.afsp.org/thinkingaboutsuicide/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGnaeNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHRhoeOPs8d-YTbZLtRSPb0YpEzMK2ICBxCKizQPPk-BZEN5LWC5KSA8bEA_aem_2m4V8tTa4b-2ml3_DAi0uA

It's a great page to keep on your desktop, or on your phone as a short cut.  What they have done is shared some ideas about what a conversation with someone who is suicidal could look like.  It really helps to remove the stigma that you have to have all of the right words, instead of being present in a conversation.  

Please remember that if you think they may be considering suicide, ask that question directly.  Are you thinking about suicide? 

Do not ask are you thinking about hurting yourself? or doing something big, or permanent or any other dodging about the ask. Ask directly, you will not put the idea in their head or drive them to it.  That is a myth. 

And hurting yourself, and taking your life can be two very different things, something big and suicide can be two different things, permanent and suicide, can be two different things.  Ask the question directly. 

Are you thinking about suicide,  or killing yourself, or ending your life? A direct ask.  

And have a conversation, ask follow up questions, really listen.. Have you made a plan? Do you have a safety plan?  

Go read through their guide, they have done a really good job of what a conversation can look like - and what you can do to listen and help.  Stay calm, don't be in judgement, be in care, and empathy.

Remember too if someone is in immediate danger, 911

And if you need tips on what to say, you can call or text 988, and they will help you through it.  And you can also share that 988 resource with them, because they can call or text 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, free and confidential.  That is the 988 Suicide and Crisis Hotline and they also have a great resource website that you can find here: ​​https://988lifeline.org/

​​As a reminder 911 and 988 are available in the United States. 

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