The American Foundation of Suicide Prevention has a list of tips that can help save a life.
These tips include bringing your friend having suicidal thoughts to a trusted adult who will take the matter seriously and to keep a lookout on warning signs.
The organization's list goes as follows:
1. Take it seriously, even if your friend brushes it off because continual thoughts of suicide is not typical.
2. An angry friend is better than a dead friend.
3. Ask, listen, tell, if the threat is immediate stay with the person.
4. Bring friend to a trusted adult. If they don’t know what to do or don’t take it seriously find another adult.
5. Be a good listener but remember that having suicidal thoughts reflects a bigger underlying problem such as depression, substance problems, abuse, or problem-solving difficulties. You can listen, but they need to speak to a professional.
6. Thirty percent (30%) of those who attempt suicide tell someone before, but many don’t tell anyone after.
- When some talks to you, that is the moment for intervention
- With each suicide attempt, risk of suicide increases.
7. Warning Signs
- Change in mood: sadness, anxiety, irritability
- Change in behavior: isolation
- Change in sleep
- Change in appetite
- Increase in aggression or impulsiveness
- Agitation
- Feeling hopeless or worthless
- Saying things like “No one will miss me” or “You’ll be better off” (feeling like a burden)
- Feeling ashamed or humiliated, or desperation, as after a break-up or test
- Collecting means
- Talking about wanting to kill themselves
- Drop in grades
- Risk-taking
- Giving away prized possessions
