Help Guide

The World Health Organization estimates that approximately one million people die each year from suicide. What drives so many individuals to take their own lives? To those not in the grips of suicidal depression and despair, it's difficult to understand what drives so many individuals to take their own lives. But a suicidal person is in so much pain that he or she can see no other option.

Suicide is a desperate attempt to escape suffering that has become unbearable. Blinded by feelings of self-loathing, hopelessness, and isolation, a suicidal person can't see any way of finding relief except through death. But despite their desire for the pain to stop, most suicidal people are deeply conflicted about ending their own lives. They wish there was an alternative to committing suicide, but they just can't see one.


Common Misconceptions about Suicide


FALSE: People who talk about suicide won't really do it.
Almost everyone who commits or attempts suicide has given some clue or warning. Do not ignore suicide threats. Statements like "You'll be sorry when I'm dead," "I can't see any way out," — No matter how casually or jokingly said may indicate serious suicidal feelings.

FALSE: Anyone who tries to kill him/herself must be crazy.
Most suicidal people are not psychotic or insane. They must be upset, grief-stricken, depressed or despairing, but extreme distress and emotional pain are not necessarily signs of mental illness.

FALSE: If a person is determined to kill him/herself, nothing is going to stop them.
Even the most severely depressed person has mixed feelings about death, wavering until the very last moment between wanting to live and wanting to die. Most suicidal people do not want death; they want the pain to stop. The impulse to end it all, however overpowering, does not last forever.

FALSE: People who commit suicide are people who were unwilling to seek help.
Studies of suicide victims have shown that more than half had sought medical help in the six months prior to their deaths.

FALSE: Talking about suicide may give someone the idea.
You don't give a suicidal person morbid ideas by talking about suicide. The opposite is true — bringing up the subject of suicide and discussing it openly is one of the most helpful things you can do.

Source: SAVE - Suicide Awareness Voices of Education

Warning signs of suicide


Most suicidal individuals give warning signs or signals of their intentions.The best way to prevent suicide is to recognize these warning signs and know how to respond if you spot them. If you believe that a friend or family member is suicidal, you can play a role in suicide prevention by pointing out the alternatives, showing that you care, and getting a doctor or psychologist involved. If you do believe there is a serious problem, however, your first action should be to get a professional involved.

Major warning signs for suicide include talking about killing or harming oneself, talking or writing a lot about death or dying, and seeking out things that could be used in a suicide attempt, such as weapons and drugs. These signals are even more dangerous if the person has a mood disorder such as depression or bipolar (manic-depressive, as previously known) disorder, suffers from alcohol dependence, has previously attempted suicide.


Take any suicidal talk or behavior seriously. It's not just a warning sign that the person is thinking about suicide — it's a cry for help.

A more subtle but equally dangerous warning sign of suicide is hopelessness. Studies have found that hopelessness is a strong predictor of suicide. People who feel hopeless may talk about "unbearable" feelings, predict a bleak future, and state that they have nothing to look forward to.

Other warning signs that point to a suicidal mind frame include dramatic mood swings or sudden personality changes, such as going from outgoing to withdrawn or well-behaved to rebellious. A suicidal person may also lose interest in day-to-day activities, neglect his or her appearance, and show big changes in eating or sleeping habits.

Talking to a person about suicide


Talking to a friend or family member about their suicidal thoughts and feelings can be extremely difficult for anyone. But if you're unsure whether someone is suicidal, the best way to find out is to ask. You can't make a person suicidal by showing that you care. In fact, giving a suicidal person the opportunity to express his or her feelings can provide relief from loneliness and pent-up negative feelings, and may prevent a suicide attempt.

Ways to start a conversation about suicide:

• I have been feeling concerned about you lately.
  
• Recently, I have noticed some differences in you and wondered how you are doing.
  
• I wanted to check in with you because you haven’t seemed yourself lately.
  

Questions you can ask:

• When did you begin feeling like this?
  
• Did something happen that made you start feeling this way?
  
• How can I best support you right now?
  
• Have you thought about getting help?
  

What you can say that helps:

• You are not alone in this. I’m here for you.
  
• You may not believe it now, but the way you’re feeling will change.
  
• I may not be able to understand exactly how you feel, but I care about you and want to help.
  
• When you want to give up, tell yourself you will hold off for just one more day, hour, minute — whatever you can manage.
  

How To Calm Someone Down when they are at the Edge

Talk to them in a normal tone.
Be Yourself.
Say that you are there for them.

Do NOT:
Argue with the suicidal person. Avoid saying things like: "You have so much to live for," "Your suicide will hurt your family," or “Look on the bright side.”
Act shocked, lecture on the value of life, or say that suicide is wrong.

Hey VK I got some of this information from a help guide I found, yet I took it and re-adapted it into my own words. Other facts were taken from VT yet again were put into my own words-So little to no copyright lol, the only bit that is indeed close to VT is the common misconceptions however I only took the key points from it.~The Assassin~Derri

Edit: There is also one other form of information I used when writting this, there was a leaflet designed by my school for my school so there may be copyrighted information on them from other sites again I don't know this all I know is that I used VT and this leaflet I picked up.

How To clam Soemone Down when they are at the Edge

Should this not say, "How to CALM someone down when they are on the Edge?

I will edit it later when on my laptop

I'll clean up the spelling/grammer for you, just PM a mod next time if you want something like this fixed, thanks.