Helping a Suicidal Family Member: 3 Mistakes to Avoid
The Potential is Real!
When a family member is suicidal, your good intentions can become replaced with desperation. It is little wonder that you can make mistakes when trying to help them.
Read on to discover which mistakes to avoid when trying to help a suicidal family member.
Mistake #1: Being Afraid to Take Action
Just the thought of having a family member who expresses suicidal tendencies creates such an emotionally charged situation that you might become afraid to take action.
Being afraid to intervene in a suicidal situation is a mistake that stems from the fear of making a mistake.
"What if I say the wrong thing" becomes some erroneous justification for not doing anything. Also, you might think that even bringing up the subject of suicide will put the idea into your family member's mind when it wasn't even there before.
In your desire to help a suicidal family member, you'd rather not say anything at all than to suggest the possibility of suicide.
Mistake #2: Expecting to Find Clear Warning Signs
The warning signs revolving around a suicidal family member are not as clear as those of other medical conditions, and it is a mistake to expect them to be.
If someone is having a heart attack, for example, the steps of CPR are readily acknowledged because CPR has been so linked with heart attack symptoms.
Because suicide is such a closeted or stigmatized matter, on the other hand, the warning signs surrounding it aren't going to be as evident. A lack of clear suicidal warning signs is probable, either because families don't want to recognize them or because the suicidal family member has become such an expert at convincing others that nothing is wrong.
Mistake #3: Not Taking it Seriously
A final mistake to avoid when trying to help a suicidal family member lies in not taking the situation seriously.
This mistakes occurs for different reasons.
"How could a member of my family be suicidal,' you might ask. "Isn't suicide a shameful issue that only happens in other families?"
Not taking the potential suicide of a family member seriously comes from a sense of overconfidence in this way. Good families don't have such problems.
Referring back to the lack of clear suicidal warning signs, you might also be tempted to overlook the seriousness of the situation because of a lack of the facts which govern the nature of suicide.
If your family member talks about suicide, for example, you shouldn't assume they are bluffing.
In sum, it is possible to help a suicidal family member once you learn to avoid certain mistakes. The potential for suicide is real, and you can learn to take action once you overcome the stress of the situation and gather all the facts.
Read on to discover which mistakes to avoid when trying to help a suicidal family member.
Mistake #1: Being Afraid to Take Action
Just the thought of having a family member who expresses suicidal tendencies creates such an emotionally charged situation that you might become afraid to take action.
Being afraid to intervene in a suicidal situation is a mistake that stems from the fear of making a mistake.
"What if I say the wrong thing" becomes some erroneous justification for not doing anything. Also, you might think that even bringing up the subject of suicide will put the idea into your family member's mind when it wasn't even there before.
In your desire to help a suicidal family member, you'd rather not say anything at all than to suggest the possibility of suicide.
Mistake #2: Expecting to Find Clear Warning Signs
The warning signs revolving around a suicidal family member are not as clear as those of other medical conditions, and it is a mistake to expect them to be.
If someone is having a heart attack, for example, the steps of CPR are readily acknowledged because CPR has been so linked with heart attack symptoms.
Because suicide is such a closeted or stigmatized matter, on the other hand, the warning signs surrounding it aren't going to be as evident. A lack of clear suicidal warning signs is probable, either because families don't want to recognize them or because the suicidal family member has become such an expert at convincing others that nothing is wrong.
Mistake #3: Not Taking it Seriously
A final mistake to avoid when trying to help a suicidal family member lies in not taking the situation seriously.
This mistakes occurs for different reasons.
"How could a member of my family be suicidal,' you might ask. "Isn't suicide a shameful issue that only happens in other families?"
Not taking the potential suicide of a family member seriously comes from a sense of overconfidence in this way. Good families don't have such problems.
Referring back to the lack of clear suicidal warning signs, you might also be tempted to overlook the seriousness of the situation because of a lack of the facts which govern the nature of suicide.
If your family member talks about suicide, for example, you shouldn't assume they are bluffing.
In sum, it is possible to help a suicidal family member once you learn to avoid certain mistakes. The potential for suicide is real, and you can learn to take action once you overcome the stress of the situation and gather all the facts.
Published by Dan Reveal
Come walk with me. I'll share my umbrella. View profile
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12 Comments
Post a CommentVery sensitive issue and yes, we had to deal with this as one of my stepdaughter's is bipolar and became suicidal while in college.
Very good and important information. We are way to familiar with suicide in our family. Son in law, and others too that have died by suicide. Very very very sad. I also read some other articles Dan but health articles and couldn't comment, I wish they would change that.
Outstanding advice on what is a very difficult and important subject. Thanks!
Our friend's son ended his life a few years ago. We never saw it coming sadly. cheers for the reminders
Excellent info here. I hope I never have to deal with this.
I agree with David....very well done and very important my friend even more so today. As always, superbly done from a man that cares for others.
Great writing on a sensitive subject. Excellent... :o)
Thoughtfully done... and VERY important.
great article and tough topic
If you suspect a suicide attempt do familiarize yourself with the signs you can find them on several websites . Prevention is always the best medicine,
consult a psychologist and try to get the family member to counselling