General Dealing With Suicide Talk

[hopelives]

Well I took your advise Bloom and rang them and the lady was very helpful and she thinks his case is worth taking further. So hopefully they will lead us in the right path.

 

[Ann Law]

I had a friend who would casually announce "well, I had another suicide attempt" last week. After a while, it did start to feel like attention seeking; I would find myself thinking, "Well, you've had so much practice, why can't you get it right." Horrible, I know. On the other hand, my brother did kill himself with an "accidental" overdose. He NEVER talked about it. I am always more worried about the people who DON'T talk about it but seem to be slipping away. Sometimes suicide talk is a way of letting off steam, crying for help, other times it's indicative of real threat, and the thing is you never know. As a carer, you end up on constant alert yourself. Be sure not to neglect self-care when caring for someone in acute crisis. Take care.

 

[lovinbiker]

. I am always more worried about the people who DON'T talk about it but seem to be slipping away. Sometimes suicide talk is a way of letting off steam, crying for help, other times it's indicative of real threat, and the thing is you never know.
Be sure not to neglect self-care when caring for someone in acute crisis. .

Nice point Ann It reminds me of something I read once about any kind of accident victims Its the ones that dont shout out in pain are the ones that are often more in pain and more in danger. A good point also about not forgetting about your own health.
LB

 

[ISupportHer]

Kind of a hard topic for me. My wife has been hospitalized at least a dozen time for depression and suicidal thoughts. Lying on the couch, asleep, just getting home 4 hours ago from the last one actually.

She has never actually told me she was contemplating suicide yet obviously she HAS, hence all the admissions. So, Therefore, as is my way, I plan ahead. To have an action plan.

I would first say I am NO EXPERT but first, I think I would say to take it seriously. And to make him absolutely know that his life is important to you. Get the professional help that is needed if he is threatening to do it. 911 if that is what is needed. There is a fine line. It is hard to know when to call, I'd imagine. There are trust issues but when someone says to me (I work in an ER sometimes) that they want to tell me something and swear me to secrecy, I say outright that, yes, I can honor that with the exception that I HAVE to do what I think is necessary when that person's safety is in question. It is a prerequisite to their confiding in me.

Sometimes a "contact for safety" can be used. I know that the social workers will sometimes ask patients to sign an agreement. One time, when my wife was very depressed, I asked for a verbal "contact" that she would not hurt herself until she saw her TH. the next day.

Hope these ideas help you.

ISH

 

[tangerinetrees12]

A couple of days ago, my boyfriend called me from Florida (he's away at school) and he sounded happy, which was surprising because he had sounded so horribly depressed the night before. He said he felt better today because he had gotten high out of his mind the night before, and thus today he felt more "balanced" and "less suicidal" as he put it. I asked him what he meant by "less suicidal" and he told me he always felt suicidal to a degree and he figures that he's gonna die someday by his own hand.

I don't know how to handle this. He's in Florida, I'm in Virginia. If I could afford to quit my job and go down there to watch him, I would. But I can't.

 

[Soldiers Wife]

I got so tired of hearing mine talk of suicide. I knew in the beginning he was suicidal but as the marriage went on the suicide threat ended up as an abuse tool. I had, had him in and out of different programs but they didnt seem to help. He had tried it once so I didnt take it lightly. One day he was really talking hard about suicide, writing letters and so I called the bluff. I filed papers with the courts and had his butt involintarily admitted. Oh how he was mad at me. But as of now he understands why I did it and that I would do it again in a heart beat. He has never once talked about suicide since.