It is always a good thing to start a conversation with someone you think may be considering suicide. It allows you to get help for the person, and just talking about it may help the person feel less alone and more cared about and understood.
Talking things through also may give the person a chance to consider other solutions to problems. Most of the time, people who are considering suicide are willing to talk if someone asks them out of concern and care. Because people who are depressed are not as able to see answers as well as others, it can help to have someone work with them in coming up with at least one other way out of a bad situation.
Even if a friend or classmate swears you to secrecy, you must get help as soon as possible — your friend's life could depend on it. Someone who is seriously thinking about suicide may have sunk so deeply into an emotional hole that they can't see that they need help. Tell an adult you trust as soon as possible.
If necessary, you can contact a suicide crisis line — call 1-800-273-8255, or text or call 988. These services are confidential and run by people who are happy to talk to you to help you figure out what to do.
Sometimes, teens who make a suicide attempt — or who die from suicide — seem to give no clue beforehand. This can leave loved ones feeling not only grief stricken but guilty and wondering if they missed something. It is important for their family members and friends to know that sometimes there is no warning and they should not blame themselves.
When someone dies by suicide, the people left behind can wrestle with a terrible emotional pain. Teens who have had a recent loss or crisis or who had a family member or classmate who died by suicide may be at risk for suicidal thinking and behavior themselves.
If you've been close to someone who has attempted or committed suicide, it can help to talk with a therapist or counselor — someone who is trained in dealing with this complex issue. Or, you could join a group for survivors where you can share your feelings and get the support of people who have been in the same situation as you.
YOU ARE READING
Suicide awareness.
Short StoryThis book contains major talk of suicide, self harm, and other disorders. This is strictly for educating people on the signs people show, or the topic in general.
