My friend keeps mentioning suicide. What should I do?

Question

He is 17 years old and has been having some troubles at home and he is starting to scare me. I don't know if he is messing around half the time. Do you think he will feel better soon? I would tell his brother, but then everyone will think I am a trouble maker. Should I just leave it alone for now?

Answer 1

I'm not saying you are not an adult, but you should tell an adult, your parents will probably listen. Your friend is either having troubles at home or at school. I would seriously reconsider telling the brother of your friend, that may be the stem of the problem, and may only make matters worse. If you are aware of your friend's problems, and know that they are in the home, then your parents should speak with your friend's parents to inform them of the seriousness of the problem.
Some people use the suicide threat for attention, and I'm not saying your friend is only wanting attention, but sometimes people that actually commit suicide do not mention it, they just take their own life. You may also try contacting his church's minister, if he attends church.
I wish you the best with this issue.

Answer 2

Be a friend, but don't try to be his therapist. Encourage him to talk to a counselor. Talk to him straight up about it the next time he mentions it. Let him know that you are his friend no matter what, but that if he is serious, he needs to talk to someone objective to help him see how to improve some of the problems in his life. If he is not serious, he needs to stop talking about it. Some people talk like that because they don't know what else to do. DON'T give him all the pat answers that well-meaning people tend to give...sometimes they are actually hurtful because they make the person feel like even more of a misfit when those answers don't really help. Try to direct his attention to helping other people -- suggest that you both get involved in some activity that is truly worthwhile. It helps a potentially suicidal person when they see that they can have a positive effect on someone else. Most important -- tread carefully.

Answer 3

Please don't leave the situation alone. Mentioning suicide is a red flag and your friend probably needs help. Don't worry too much about being a trouble maker. Maybe somebody other than his brother would be a confidential source and easy to talk to.

Answer 4

Ms Vy is completely wrong. Only your friend knows if he's seriously contemplating it or not. I did not mention my intentions to many folks when I was suicidal other than saying I wanted to die to a few people. You just don't know. The best thing to do is be a good listener and talk to him. Let him know that you are concerned and encourage him to talk... let him know that you want to help in any way you can. Don't tell him you're scared or he might clam up. Tell him you've talked to people like me who have been there and that there is a way out. Read my story, find my email there and let me know if I can help:
http://www.geocities.com/seabulls69/AntidepressantThatWorks.html

Answer 5

CONSIDER WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF U DONT DO ANYTHING? IT'S HARD 2 FIGURE OUT WHAT 2 DO W SUCH A LOAD...YOU SHOULD TAKE HIM SERIOUS, SEE IF HE DOES HAVE OTHER HABITS HE HAS PICKED UP, NOT EATING, LOOSING WEIGHT OF COURSE... WANTS TO BE ALONE MAYBE. ARE THE TROUBLES @ HM SOMETHING HE ACTUALLY TALKS ABOUT? HE CAN ALWAYS GET HELP THROUGH SCHOOL OR THE LOCAL HELP CRISIS HOT LINES. THEY R TOTALLY ANONYMOUS. AS LONG AS HE'S TALKING TO SOMEONE, HE IS TALKING N THAT IS ALWAYS A GOOD THING. U STOP BEING A FRIEND WHEN U STOP CARING. LET HIM NO 2, THAT WE CANT PIC OUR FAMILY N SOMETIMES WE JUST HAVE TO GET AWAY FM THEM, BE IT COLLEGE, A TRIP TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS COUNTRY ,A JOB OR HOBBY THAT PAYS WELL. NOTHING LIKE GETTING PAID 2 DO SOMETHING U LOVE, HE HAS TO HAVE SOMETHING, ONE THING HE LOVES. GOOD LUCK!!HONESTLY....

Answer 6

Ask your friend if he knows what the results of suicide are?

If he does not, then tell him this:

As soon as he kills himself, his Astral body will separate from his physical body, along with his MIND [a subtle body of energy much like his Astral body], and he will look around at the place where he died.

He will be in a disembodied state, but in a very low level of the Astral region [the next inner region within Man]. He will be unable to communicate with anyone, but will be aware of all that is taking place within the area where he killed himself.

He will remain in that place for as long as he was supposed to live. Imagine being in a space where ones family is, but being unable to communicate with them.

Then when the time finally comes that he was supposed to die, he will be taken before the judge everyone goes before at death. He will then have to explain the reason he chose to prevent all those with whom he had Karma from completing their Karma with him. He will automatically know how wrong his action was, and he will.be prepared for the punishment... which will be intended to teach him that suicide is not cool. Perhaps a thousand years of dying every day only to awaken the next day to do it all again. Some kind of punishment to "teach" the lesson.

Then, when he has learned that lesson, he will be brought back before the judge and he will help determine his next life... in which he will have to pay for all the pain and suffering he caused, plus complete all the previous Karma, plus the Karma for his present life, and he will carry within him a phobia regarding suicide.

This is the fate of those who commit suicide. Let him read this if you would like.

Answer 7

DO NOT leave this alone. Talk to your friend. Talk to his brother. If you have an adult you trust talk to them to get him help. Your friend needs someone to talk to who is trained and can help him. Better to be a trouble maker then saying I wish I did something.
And Ms_Vy is wrong. People who are serious talk about it. It is their way of asking for help.

Answer 8

If he is suicidal he is most likely depressed.

Get help because if he keeps mentioning it that means he is constantly thinking about it and it trying to reach out for comofrt.

He may not attempt to kill himself, but get help because you never know. And even if he won't the effects of severe depression could be scarring and impact the rest of his life if it is not dealt with now.

Answer 9

examine which includes her about the difficulty in case you may, yet as well examine with someone at college. in the experience that your college's counselors are sturdy (many are, yet some are not - in basic terms you may recognize), then bypass to them and clarify the difficulty. they're going to be in a position to call your chum to the place of work, communicate which includes her, and both help her improve some better coping recommendations or get her in contact with those who can. they could also be in a significantly better position to guage the seriousness of the difficulty. Your chum might want to be mad at you for a couple of minutes afterwards, yet later, she'll recognize that you care. (If the advisors at your college are valueless, call a suicide hotline and examine with them about it - they're going to allow you to recognize about resources on your section.)

Answer 10

NEVER take anyone who is talking about suicide lightly or think they are kidding. 17 is a very tough age these days. You should DEFINATELY tell someone. The worst that could happen is he could get mad and never speak to you again. The thing you have to decide is would you rather have him alive and mad or dead? To me it is worth sacrificing a friendship to save a life.