Here are some possible outcomes of the suicidal crisis
- If the sufferer receives or gets the help they need to make key changes in their life, there can be some improvement.
- The sufferer can suddenly, miraculously, seem to snap out of it. Depression changes to euphoria without notice. The sufferer seems to have no problems whatsoever. That’s when you really have to be on guard. In someone so changeable so quickly, suicidal ideation can reappear at a moment’s notice. Suicide can once again seem to be the only option.
- The sufferer attempts suicide.
An Attempted Suicide
The sufferer carries out a plan, but, happily, it is not completed.
- The suicidal process can be stopped if the right sort of help is offered and accepted immediately after the attempt.
- A spontaneous remission to a calm, measured state can be a sign that a second suicide attempt is being planned. Resolving this second crisis depends on several factors, including: the individual’s personality, including life experiences, the nature of the events that provoked the crisis, the resources at hand in the individual’s milieu.
Once the crisis has passed, you as a counselor face a choice: which tools best fit this situation? How can we get the sufferer on the road to recovery? Once suicide has been averted, or an uncompleted attempt has been made, then your work really begins.
Book excerpt from Quebec Suicide Prevention Handbook (2014), Éditions TNT
Suicide Prevention Hotlines:
Québec: 1-866-APPELLE (277-3553). CLSCs can also help you.
Canada: Canada Suicide Prevention Service 833-456-4566
U.S.: The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
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