Suicide can be a very scary situation and one that you may feel unprepared to handle. However, if you are concerned that your veteran is suicidal there are things you can do. Suicide is preventable and there are professionals that are accessible in person, by telephone and internet making support available to you and the person you are concerned about 24 hours a day/7 days a week.
If you are concerned your veteran is suicidal:
- Ask them. Asking someone if they are suicidal is not going to give them the idea but rather allow them to talk about their feelings. Furthermore, it lets them know you care and will support them unconditionally. Allowing them to talk about it really can begin the process of getting them the help they need.
- Assess risk. Determine if they have a plan and the means to do it. The more specific the plan, the greater the urgency. Call the police if they are in imminent danger and stay with them until help arrives. If possible, remove any threats such as weapons or pills.
- Trust your instincts. Everything from whether or not to talk to your loved one about suicide to assessing risk, if your instincts say something doesn’t feel right then trust them. This can be the difference between life and death.
- Do they have past suicide attempts? This information is important because previous attempts increase the risk of a suicide succeeding. However, this does not mean that someone without previous attempts should be taken any less seriously.
- Listen to them.While you may not understand how they are feeling, allow them to openly speak about it without judgment or criticism. You may be the first or only person they are talking to about how they feel and your interaction can make reaching out for additional help easier.
- Where to find help? Encourage them to speak with a professional. Veterans have unique circumstances and because of this, specific resources have been developed to support them, such as the Veterans Crisis Line (See below). If you are concerned they are in immediate danger call 911. They will bring in professionals, when appropriate, to assess the situation. For some it may only be coordinating resources or in more serious situations hospitalization to begin immediate intervention.
If your veteran needs to talk to someone now, call the Veterans Crisis Line at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) and press 1. Veterans can also chat with a counselor and anyone can access information and resources by visiting the Veteran Crisis Line homepage.