A caring conversation can save a life, suicide experts say
October 30, 2015
Anyone can help a person get through a suicidal crisis (whether it involves suicidal thoughts or imminent danger) by using strategies recommended by suicide prevention experts. Key steps include learning the signs of suicidal thinking, asking open-ended questions in a caring and supportive way about how the person is doing, listening for feelings such as hopelessness and pain, making sure the person is safe, and encouraging the person to get professional help. “You can make a difference, especially if you can get somebody to talk about it,” said Elsa Ronningstam, a psychologist at McLean Hospital and board member of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). “Many completed suicides, people don’t talk about it — they just go and do it.” According to Christine Moutier, chief medical officer for AFSP, “A suicidal crisis — the actual moment, that period of possibility — is on the order of five minutes to 30 minutes . . . If you engage them in conversation, there’s a very good chance you’re getting them through that period.”
Spark Extra! To learn more about how you can help someone who is suicidal, check out the information at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s website.