How can you help people with suicidal thoughts

How can we help people who have suicidal thoughts?

‘I know how you feel', ‘You’re being selfish’... Are these helpful to someone who is suicidal? Here are some ways that you could respond instead.

Q How to show our support?

A Most of the time, people with suicidal thoughts simply want somebody to be with them. Therefore, significant progress can be made just by letting them know that you care about them. For example, saying words like, “I am here for you.”

Q What can you do to relieve their feelings?

A You can try to ask them open questions and let them express their feelings. This will not make them into doing something self-destructive and reduce the risk of suicidal acts by raising their self-consciousness of their situation.

Q How to better interpret your caring

A Try to maintain eye contact to show genuine interest in what they are saying. Some of us grew up watching eyes and faces that reflected pain, shame, criticism, or a depressed vacancy. When we look into another's eyes, we expect more of the same.

Q What else can you help them with?

A Try to get help from professionals, such as a consultant from Headwind for free. If you aren’t with them, try to encourage the person to call the suicide hotline numbers.

Resources from the government have been allocated. Each school has at least 2 social workers and 1 educational psychologist. Do not hesitate approaching them when needed.

當身邊有人想輕生或有輕生的想法，我們應該怎樣幫助他們呢？

「正面D啦」、「我好明白你而家嘅情況呀」、「你知唔知道你死咗，你d屋企人會好唔開心架，佢哋咁辛苦養大你」耳熟能詳的句子卻可以讓人走向深淵。我們可以參考以下方法開導，陪伴和聆聽身邊有需要的朋友~

問：怎樣給予適當的鼓勵和支持？

答：很多時候，單單在身邊默默的與他們同行，也可以出現讓人意想不到的效果。在讓其感到並不孤單的同時，給予對方足夠的空間抒發自己。可以對他們説：「我支持你繼續行落去。」

問：我們如何採取即時行動以舒緩他們的情緒？

答：我們更可以嘗試以開放式問題引導他們表達自己內心的感受以及加強對方深層的思考和自我覺察的能力。這樣可以減少他們因衝動做出傷害自己以及輕生的風險。

問：我們怎樣才能讓他們感受到我們對他們的關心？

答：其中「眼睛是靈魂之窗」這句老生常談乃大智慧。近代社會中的親密對話中較少注重眼神接觸。適當的眼神接觸可以顯示個人對對話的投入及興趣和收集更多資料，融入當事人的情感中。我們自小便透過觀察人們的眼睛及臉部，分辨出失望，痛苦，焦慮等情緒。

問：我們還可以從哪些方面幫助他們？

答：很多時候，可以尋求專業人士的協助，例如家長、老師、心理學家。甚至有時候我們不能在他們身邊，只能透過短訊或電話上溝通，可以鼓勵他們致電給自殺熱線中心，交由接受過專業訓練的義工們接手。

香港政府對有情緒困擾或輕生意圖，要求所有學校配備至少兩位社工和一位教育心理學家。當我們發現身邊的同學有

自殺的傾向時，我們應當及時尋找他們的協助。

Post written by Tiffany wong