[2597] in Depressing_Thoughts
Re: suicidal thoughts
sdcfred@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (sdcfred@ATHENA.MIT.EDU)
Tue Dec 10 18:30:36 1991
What the appropriate course of action may be is entirely dependent on the
situation. For example, has the person actually *attempted* suicide, or
just talk about it? The first situation is by far a worse one in terms of
current state of mental health, but the second is the harder to gauge an
appropriate reaction.
I think that professional help can be useful, but forcing someone into it
may be worse for them than helping them decide to get help. Again, this
depends on the person's personality. A person who is belligerent and gets
mad when told what to do would not be a candidate for forcing, but someone
who never makes decisions might be the kind of person who needs more forceful
nudging.
The one bit of advice I would offer is that is you see a situation approaching
that is going to be a problem, and you aren't sure what you can do, YOU can
always seek help. Calling the Suicide Prevention Hotline (it may go under
different names at different locations, but I know Nightline can get you the
number (I got it from them for Atlanta, Georgia when the friend of a friend
was trying to deal with a suicidal friend)). The people that staff this are,
if I'm not mistaken, for the most part trained volunteers. I'd be willing to
bet that their help would be incredibly valuable and worthwhile.
Good luck, and I hope things improve...
