How to deal with a person with suicidal thoughts
Suicide is not a way out of ending the problems of your life. It never ends the chance of life getting worse. In fact, it ends the possibility of life getting any better.
Unlike many disorders, suicidal thought is a bit hard to explain and diagnose. The main reason is that people are not open to this topic and hence, they keep it to themselves only. The mental suffocation increases and suddenly conjures the person to commit suicide. In such cases, people with the right mindset should know when and what to do in order to deal with the person having suicidal thoughts.
Usually, a person having suicidal thoughts may not express it. It doesn’t mean that he should not be cured or looked after. Science tells us that people who commit suicide do not wish to end their lives but are looking for a way to stop their suffering. The prevention of suicide starts with caring for a person having suicidal thoughts in mind. The best way to approach is to start recognizing the warning signs and taking action on them in a serious manner. If you come across anyone who is considering suicide, you should bring up the subject and deal with the problem. Talking to a person having suicidal thoughts and talking about the mindset openly can save a life.
How to deal with a person with suicidal thoughts: Understanding
WHO says that around 1 million people suffer from suicide attempts and eventually die from this disorder every year. This shows how difficult it is to understand the reason why so many individuals take their lives. This relates to understanding the suicidal depression and despair experienced by the person. Suicide is basically a desperate attempt in which an individual seeks to escape from all of the sufferings of life. This happens when the pain becomes so unbearable that dying seems easy than living. Such feelings blind the person and he drowns in self-loathing. He is also brought down in confidence by isolation and hopelessness. Despite their desire to stop the pain, the suicidal attempts by people are conflicted by ending their own lives. They usually wish that there was an alternative to suicide but they are unable to see the alternative path.
Detecting the warning signs
Most suicidal individuals offer to warn hints or signals of their intentions. The most ideal approach to counteract suicide is to perceive these warning signs and have the ability to react as soon as you spot them. In case you suspect that a friend or a family member is living with suicidal thoughts, you can play your role in suicide aversion by pointing out the options, demonstrating that the person gives it a second thought, and getting a specialist or psychologist for help.
Real warning signs for suicide incorporate thinking about killing or harming oneself, talking or expounding a ton on death or biting the dust, and searching out things that could be utilized in a suicide attempt. For example, weapons and medications. These signals are considerably increasingly perilous if the individual has a state of mind issue. Other reasons could be problems such as depression or bipolar behavior issues. Other signs include liquor dependence, smoking, drug addiction or simply poor anger management. One having a family history can also develop suicidal thoughts.
An increasingly unpretentious however similarly hazardous warning indication of suicide is hopelessness. Studies have discovered that hopelessness is a solid indicator of suicide. Individuals who feel miserable may discuss “insufferable” emotions, anticipate a depressing future, and express that they don’t have anything to hope for.
Other warning signs that point to a suicidal personality include sensational emotional episodes or unexpected character changes. This includes, for example, changing from friendly to being ruthless or respectful to defiant. A suicidal individual may likewise lose enthusiasm for everyday exercises, disregard his or her appearance, and show enormous changes in eating or sleeping behavior.
Making him speak up
The most important tip of dealing with a person having suicidal thoughts is to make him speak up when he is worried. When you spot the warning signs in someone close to you, you might make the judgment of whether you need to discuss the topic or not. You should not dwell in the dilemma and must speak up and allow him to be open to you as well. If he is not thinking such, then you got nothing to lose. Hence, speaking up is always a better option. You should not feel uncomfortable or afraid. Moreover, the earlier you detect these confessions, the better chance you have of helping the person.
At first, you might find it difficult to talk to someone dealing with suicidal thoughts. But if you are unsure where to start, you should simply ask. You should not make a person nervous while doing this. You should show him or her that you care and must ask things in a polite tone. When you give a person with suicidal thoughts the opportunity to express feelings, you are actually providing relief from loneliness. You are diminishing the negative feelings and in process, certainly declining a suicide attempt.
Here are a few lines which you can use to start a conversation:
“I was thinking if everything is fine with you? do you wish to discuss anything with me? let it out”
“How are you doing? I have noticed some differences in your behavior lately and wish to know if everything is fine?”
“You haven’t seemed to be yourself lately. Just wanted to check in with you”
“Do you wish to tell me what is going through your mind right now?
Some other things that you can say to help the cause are:
“Please remember that you are never alone. I am always here with you”
“It might seem a bit impossible right now, but things never remain the same. Feeling you have now is bound to change for sure”
