 Suicide is one of the hardest things to deal with. Not just for the person considering suicide, but for the people surrounding that individual. Often, people who observe suicidal behavior from someone they love become very concerned and even disturbed at what they're saying, but it's very important not to let your shock overwhelm you. Instead of focusing on the sadness of the situation, there are many things you could do to help these suicidal individuals. 1. Don't ask too many questions. In 2010, a study was done on the rising suicide rates in Japan, an area which has a massive problem with people taking their own lives. It found that asking too many questions can sometimes cause a negative reaction in suicidal people. Could this just be due to Japanese culture, or is this an indicative of a more widespread trait when it comes to suicide people all over the world? It would make sense for this to apply to all people, because the feeling of being interrogated with many questions is never fun. Because of the shock of finding out someone is suicidal, it can be tempting to bombard them with constant questions, but a more effective technique is to start slow, just letting the person know you're there to help at first. 2. Don't give them false hope. Another very interesting study was done in India, another country that is suffering from increased suicide rates. They found that giving the person false hope can be a disastrous decision. Although you might feel that making unreasonable promises to the person might convince them not to commit suicide, it actually causes the opposite effect. They immediately see through this fake promise and become even more disillusioned with the world they live in. Although it might be tempting to say things like, everything is going to be okay. Take a second to think what you're saying. Is everything really going to be okay? As this study suggests, a better option might be to employ a more realistic approach. 3. Don't try to relate. The same study as mentioned before also found that trying to relate to the suicidal person can be a bad decision. You have to understand that in the minds of suicidal people, no one understands what they're going through. Even if you have contemplated suicide in the past and feel like you've gone through the exact same thing, don't try to relate your own experiences to what they're going through. The suicidal person will most likely reject this advice because they believe it does not apply to them. Instead, focus on trying to listen to them and trying to understand their own unique circumstances as best you can. 4. Use their own belief system to convince them. The same study as previously mentioned provides one more great piece of advice. Researchers revealed that you can help suicidal people choose life by learning about their personal beliefs and using them to convince the person not to commit suicide. If they believe in a specific religion, use teachings from that religion to convince them about the value of life. If they believe in nothing at all, you can use that to convince them as well by saying things like, you only live once. Why not make the most out of it? 5. Encourage them to see a professional. One of the best things to do, if not the best thing to do to help suicidal people, is to encourage them to see a mental health professional. That's not to say you should refuse to help them, telling them to get help and walk away. That would not go down well. What you can do is let them know that you're there for them, listen carefully, and then encourage them to get help. You have to remember that you're not a professional, you're not trained in this, and you don't have the resources to help, unless of course you are a trained mental health professional. 6. Take them seriously. There has been a huge tendency to dismiss the validity of suicidal tendencies throughout the years. People often say things like, they're just doing it for attention, or they'll never actually go through it with it. This is perhaps the worst outlook you could take when it comes to suicidal people. You have to take them seriously. If no one pays attention to them or displays any concern, this might actually push them further towards suicide. It makes them feel alone. Studies have shown that the vast majority of people who have committed suicide displayed warning signs before taking their own lives. In addition, a study in Finland found that 10% of people who committed suicide saw a health professional within 24 hours of taking their own lives. 7. Try not to seem fake. Something that really causes a negative effect when it comes to dealing with people contemplating suicide is when you appear too fake. As previously mentioned, it's important you take these people seriously, but this doesn't mean turning yourself into something you're not. Be yourself. Don't act like a different person all of a sudden just because you found out that someone close to you is contemplating suicide. They will see right through your fictimeter. This might cause a negative effect, creating a sense of increased dissolution in their view of the world around them. An example of this would be adopting a babying, almost patronizing approach to these people, speaking softly to them as if they were a small child. But there are many other ways you can appear fake when it comes to interacting with suicidal individuals. 8. Encouraging participation in culture. Recently, Canada, Finland, and other countries situated around the Arctic Belt embarked on an ongoing study to tackle the growing problem of suicide among the people living in the far north. The vast majority of these people are part of Aboriginal groups, such as the Inuit in Canada and the Sami in Finland, societies with growing suicide epidemics. Although this strategy was specifically tailored towards Inuit people, it can be applied to people all over the world. When they encourage these people to participate in their own culture, such as singing traditional songs, creating traditional arts and crafts, and generally doing things typical to their traditional culture, they reduce the risk of suicide. Perhaps this helps because the suicidal people feel like they belong to a larger collective. Thus, their sense of loneliness is lessened. They suddenly feel like they belong to part of the community and a culture that has spanned multiple generations behind them. This strategy could definitely be applied to the general population. Traditional culture is not something we experience on a day-to-day basis, especially if we live in a big city. Certain countries also seem devoid of culture these days, especially nations like America and Canada, who are relatively young countries. They don't have centuries of tradition, like many nations in Europe. Would it help if we began to actively promote our ethnic cultures? The resultant Inuit societies seem to suggest so. 9. Address Unresolved Grief One of the biggest reasons people contemplate suicide is because they're experiencing unresolved grief. Indeed, it's one of the biggest warning signs of people who might commit suicide in the future. These people might say that they're about to see dead loved ones again, or that they wish they could see dead family members again. When people can't properly work out the grieving process, they turn to drastic measures, including suicide. They feel it's the only way out, or the only way they'll ever see that person again. If you think this might be the root case of their suicidal thoughts, bring it up. If you encourage them to address it, they might be able to finally come to terms with it and move on. 10. Stop Them From Taking Certain Prescription Drugs There is also a huge problem with suicides in the military, specifically the U.S. Army. The rates are so alarming that multiple studies have tried to look into this problem and figure out how to tackle it. In 2012, one of them found that one factor contributing to suicidal behavior was a reliance on certain prescription drugs, specifically opioids. We've seen it again and again. TV commercials that sell these drugs and slip in the disclaimer at the end, which says this might result in suicidal thoughts. While the study was done through the military, it applies to all people. If you know someone who is suicidal and they take certain prescription drugs, most notably opioids, it might be a good idea to get them to stop, or at least bring up the fact that their medication might be the reason they're suicidal. Do you have any tips that can help suicidal individuals? Let us know in the comments below. If you like this video, be sure to check out our other social media for more content. And we'd like to announce that Psych2Go has now opened a Patreon. Check it out if you want to support our channel. And don't forget to subscribe. Thanks for watching.