Health and Wellbeing
Suicide: How to Support During Crisis Moments
If someone you love says they want to die, this helps you stay calm, stay with them and get through the next minute together.
- 36 minutes
- 11 modules
- Certificate
Members
Parent membership: all 50 courses for parents and carers, £40 a year or £4 a month after 14 days free.
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If you need help now
- If someone is in danger, call 999.
- For urgent mental health help, call NHS 111.
- Samaritans: call 116 123, any time.
- Shout: text SHOUT to 85258.
- Childline (for children and young people): 0800 1111.
- Papyrus HOPELINEUK (suicide, under 35s): 0800 068 4141.
What you'll learn
- Stay calm on the outside so the person you're with can start to calm too
- Stay with someone in crisis and bring in help without leaving them alone
- Ask connecting questions that help them find reasons to stay for now
- Use distractions and grounding, such as 5-4-3-2-1, to ease the moment
- Write a safety plan together once the immediate danger has passed
About this course
Few things are as frightening as realising that someone you care about wants to end their life. Most people's first fear is saying the wrong thing. The only truly wrong thing is to walk away, and simply staying beside them already counts for a lot.
The trainer has been both the person in crisis and the person helping, and gives you things to do in the moment. Speak slowly and quietly, even if you're panicking inside. Ask about the things they care about. Look for small reasons to stay for now, like a friend's birthday or the next episode of a show. And when it all feels too much, just aim to get through the next minute, then the one after.
Once the danger has passed, you'll know how to write a safety plan together using the free template at stayingsafe.net.
11 modules
Open in order
- 2 min
Introduction
- 3 min
You can do this
- 6 min
Try to convey calm
- 5 min
Remain present
- 4 min
Seek places and faces of safety
- 5 min
Ask connecting questions
- 3 min
Find reasons to stay alive
- 4 min
Look for distractions
- 4 min
The one minute rule
- 4 min
Write a safety plan
- 2 min
Wrap up