7 Things Not to Say to Someone Who is Suicidal ...

Suicide is difficult to cope with – both for the individual thinking of committing suicide and for those around the person. For the latter person, they may feel as if they are fighting a battle where they will only lose. They will come out and say anything to the individual that they believe can help them. However, there are some sentences that should not be spoken to someone who is thinking of suicide – this is because the individual can take those words and twist them into something you did not really mean or it can just push them over the last little bit of edge they are standing on. Below, I am going to give you 7 things not to say to someone who is suicidal …

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Just Get Away from Me

The last thing the suffer needs is to be alone. Don’t push the person away from you, especially not during this time when they are in need of someone to help them through this problem.

You’ll Go Straight to Hell

Oh, definitely don’t go and say this. If the individual is religious, then obviously, their idea of Hell seems much better than life. Then, if the individual is not religious, why would you want to force such on them during this time? So, back off with the religious game. This could cause them to go ahead with those plans just to get at you and your religious point of view.

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You Are so Selfish

Don’t tell the individual that they need to stop being selfish. Clinical depression, in any form, will cause the individual to be selfish – that is the way it is.

Get up and do Something with Your Life

If the individual knew how to get up and do something about their life, don’t you think they would have already done so? They may take these words and think you are calling them useless.

I Hate You

Wow, did anyone ever tell you just how powerful this sentence is? I am not even going to bother to elaborate on this one.

Stop Playing around

This is telling the individual that they are so useless that you don’t even believe them when they talk about suicide. Suicide, no matter what, should never be taken as a joke.

Related: 7 Facts on Suicide ...

Just do It Already

Okay, come on – even if you think they are playing around, avoid saying these words. How would you feel if you told the individual to “just do it already” and they ended up doing it? Do you think you could happily live with that? Knowing that there could have been a move you could make that would of helped them? Instead, you say … just do it already – wow, those are not good for some last words from a “friend.”

Okay, there you have 7 things not to say to someone who is suicidal. Come on, look at the statistics of just how many people commit suicide in this world – Everyday! It’s horrible! So, have you lost anyone because of suicide? Share your experience and tell my readers how they should not play around with this.

Top Photo Credit: Dr_Tariq

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Where Thoughts and Opinions Converge

what would you say then?

These are definitely phrases that should not ever be said to someone who already feels so horrible about life. As someone who has had experience with family and friends who have been depressed, suicidal, or both--it can be very hard to come up with the right thing to say at the time. Or it can feel like anything you say is only met with opposition or disbelief. I hope I can offer a bit of advice to add to this article without it seeming like I am being preachy or trying to write this article myself--this comes from a good place, and I only want to help. I have found that it is best to listen more than you speak. When someone feels they are at the breaking point, often it is because they feel alone, outcast, or that nobody cares about them and so nobody would miss them if they were gone. And often they have felt this way for a long time, and only now are they opening up about it. You need to remind them gently that it isn't true; I find reminding them about all the things they love to do in life (or used to) can help them to remember that life can be hard, but it isn't always. I will end with a favourite phrase of mine that I heard somewhere (I forget the source) which goes something like this: "Nobody ever said life would be easy, but it is definitely worth it."

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