About Suicide
What you can DO - The SALT Strategy
What you can do
- Many suicides can be prevented!
- Research tells us that most people with suicidal thoughts do not want to die, they simply want to stop the pain.
- Research also tells us that people with thoughts of suicide give us warning signs, telling us what their intentions are, and crying out for help.
- Following a simple strategy could save someone's life!
Here is an easy to follow guide called the SALT Strategy:
You need to be able to See the warning signs
There are many ways the person with suicidal thoughts cries out for help or tells us what their intentions are. We need to be aware of:
What They Say:
- Whenever a person talks about suicide, take them seriously
- They may make direct statements such as: "I've decided to kill myself", "I'd be better off dead", "If… happens, I am going to kill myself", etc.
- They may make indirect statements such as: "I'm tired of life", "What's the point of going on?", "Who cares if I'm dead anyway?", "The world would be better off without me", etc.
What They Do
- Be aware of Changes to Normal Behaviour Patterns, which include changes to eating or drinking habits, mood changes, changes to socialising patterns, use of drugs and alcohol, changes to sleeping patterns, etc.
- Preparing for death, for example: making a will, paying off debts, taking about what they would like at their funeral service, giving away their prized possessions, etc.
- No longer being concerned for their wellbeing, for example: risk taking activities, no longer caring about their hygiene and physical wellbeing, etc.
How They Feel
- Suicidal people operate mainly on feelings. You can usually tell how a person is feeling by the way they act, their body language, facial expressions, and voice tone. (depression, hopelessness, helplessness, despair, isolation, loneliness, being trapped, sadness, anger, desperation, etc)
What They Have Experienced
- Be aware of what people have experienced in the past and recently: have they attempted suicide before?, have they experienced a significant loss - death of a loved one, rejection by a partner, loss of income, sudden loss of mobility, loss of freedom, etc.
Ask the person about suicidal intentions
One of the most important points of the SALT strategy is to ask the person who's warning signs you have observed, whether they are thinking about suicide: For example: "I've noticed that you haven't been your cheerful self lately. I heard you say that it wouldn't matter if you were around anymore. I'm concerned. I'm wondering whether you've have been thinking about suicide?"
A question like this lets the person with suicidal thoughts know that you care. It tells them that you've been taking notice. It also let's them know that you've been listening and you're not afraid to deal with such a situation.
You will also need to ask question about their plan, whether they have the means to commit suicide, and whether they have set a time for this, so that you can decide on how dangerous the situation is, and if you need to call for help immediately.
Listen to what they are experiencing
You need to do whatever possible to let the person with suicidal thoughts know that you are willing to listen to them, without judging them, without telling them what they need to do, or making them feel guilty. Listening to the person with suicidal thoughts is probably the most helpful thing you can do. In their state of mind, the person with suicidal thoughts needs to connect with someone, they need to feel listened to, cared for, believed and not judged. The best thing you can do is to focus on how the suicidal person is feeling, listen to their pain and accept the way they are feeling.
Once the person with suicidal thoughts feels that you believe the way they feel, that you have accepted that and respect them, and that you have not judged them, they will feel relieved and supported. Once the person has a sense of being supported, feeling connected to someone, the intensity of their suicidal thoughts is likely to decrease, allowing them to see a few more options to their situation.
Tell the suicidal person where they can get qualified help
Once you have given the person the respect and the support they need, you need to focus on the positive steps they can take from this point on. Be aware of your limitations in this situation and know where the person can go for qualified help. It is a very good idea to make an agreement with the person, where they promise not to harm themselves, until they have met with someone who can offer more help than yourself (counsellor, mental health worker, a doctor, therapist, etc.). Such an agreement is known as a No Harm Agreement. It provides some clear steps for the person with suicidal thoughts to follow within a given time Components of the No Harm Agreement are:
- Promise - not to kill or harm self
- Resource - by a specific time e.g. 24 hours or less
- Another meeting - within 48 hours to check in on action plan
