9781422273920

could happen because they change their minds, or because some other person intervenes to help them. There are three key things to understand about a suicidal crisis: a. It is time-limited . In other words, a suicidal crisis is temporary. Depression, anxiety disorders, and other mental health issues may be chronic, but a suicidal crisis is it is a temporary state. b. It occurs in the context of broader feelings of despair. A suicide attempt is never about “just” one event, person, or comment. c. People who attempt to take their own lives are generally ambivalent about the decision; part of them wants to, but another part deep down does not.

“Please stay. If you’re hurting, afraid, or need someone to talk to, please reach out. . . . Someone will reach back. You are so deeply valued, so incomprehensibly loved—even when you can’t feel it—and you are worth your life.” —Live Through This (www.livethroughthis.org)

Understanding Suicide

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