The question of suicide:
Keep it a question.
It's not really an answer.
Peter McWilliams
Suicide intervention is a life-and-death crisis. Bobble it, and we may not get a second chance.
Before he became a pastor, a man we'll call Terry was at work one day when he received a phone call. The caller, Howard, was the 34-year-old son of a fellow worker. Terry knew of Howard's continuing problem with drug abuse, and he remembered that Howard had been hospitalized a while back for psychiatric problems. Howard got right to the point: "Look, I called so you can help my mom. You'll need to talk with her soon, because she's going to find me dead."
What's Terry to do?
Saving a Life
It's remarkable that even most of the suicidal don't want to die. That's why the calls. They're using their next-to-last trick from a bag that's nearly empty. Our task: keeping a precious life intact.
Engagement. The initial moments of the conversation are terribly important. ...
You have reached the end of this Article Preview
Support our work
Subscribe to CT and get one year free
