Should we talk about suicide?
Suicide is a difficult topic for most people, even mental health professionals acknowledge that it’s a tough thing to speak about but this is one of the reasons we should be talking about it more.
Many people have suicidal thoughts at some point, and in 2019 there were 5316 suicides registered in the UK, that’s approximately 14.5 suicides every day in the UK alone.
There is a myth that talking about suicide or asking someone if they have had suicidal thoughts increases the risk of suicide. However, this has been proven in several studies to be false.
In fact, speaking about suicide creates a window of opportunity for people who may be struggling with suicidal thoughts to open up and seek help.
Suicide may be a serious and difficult topic but this doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be spoken about, in fact, we should be speaking about it more.
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Suicide warning signs
- Talking about suicide or death.
- Making financial preparations.
- Talking about being a burden or having no hope.
- Self-destructive behaviour.
- Saying goodbye.
- Self-loathing or hatred.
- Feeling trapped or worthless.
- Seeking out lethal means.
- A sudden sense of calm or elation.
Talking about suicide
Ways to start a conversation about suicide:
“I have been feeling concerned about you lately.”
“Recently, I’ve 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 to make 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.”
It’s not about what you say, it’s about how you listen. Set every else aside and give 100% of your attention
Weekly Wellbeing Tip
Think of something you have achieved or a time you helped someone and then allow yourself to feel genuine and powerful pride for that. It may feel uncomfortable, this is normal and a good sign because we don’t do this enough.
