You get a call from from someone suicidal

[lettucethesallad]

A few years ago I had a bipolar best friend who lived several hours away. I always kept my phone on 24/7 so he could reach me at any time if he needed anything, or just wanted to chat. He could call me at 3 am and I'd be totally cool with that. I answered every call.

...except one time, when I'd been out and just wanted to sleep. Turns out that was the last time he'd ever call me, since he committed suicide that night and wanted to say goodbye.


If someone suicidal were to call me again, I'd probably try to listen to that person's problems, and if I wasn't able to help the person to reevaluate - I'd stick around to support him/her, and hopefully be there for them and make them feel less alone, something I wish I could've done for my best friend.

 

[The Artificially Prolonged]

if they're on a building, I'd tell them to do a flip.

No other people need those organs.

Being serious though, I'm not sure what I would do. Someone randomly calling and saying their going to kill themselves can leave you lost for words.

 

[funguy2121]

You're just minding your own business when your phone rings and you answer. It's nobody you know, but who ever they are, they are saying they are about to kill themselves, and they wanted a stranger to console them. What do you do?

Do the Tingle dance. Foo-loompah! or something like that.

 

[Reincarnatedwolfgod]

chant Jump Jump Jump
not really i really don't know what i would do

 

[crimsonshrouds]

Ive had someone call and told me to tell my friend a girl who broke it off with him that he was going to commit suicide.

I told him to stop threatening and go ahead and do it.

 

[NiPah]

First ask them if they have a plan for how they will kill themselves, access the immediacy of the plan (do they plan to shoot themselves, do they have a gun, do they have the rope strung up ect).
Ask them for their location and address, if possible have someone contact law enforcement while staying on the line, continue talking with the individual while letting them know help is on the way and that you are there with them and will talk with them as long as they want.
Do not talk about how suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem, focus on the hear and now and just try to cheer up the person.

 

[Feylynn]

Wishfully? Try and talk them out of it.
Realistically? Panic and hang up in a bout of nervousness regretting that I made the mistake of answering the phone to someone I don't know instead of making someone else do it.

 

[thejackyl]

This might sound... harsh, but I would probably just tell them: "If you're going to kill yourself, either do it and get it over with, and don't and stop being such a little ***** about everything."

If someone wants to kill themselves, no one is going to stop them. They might change their mind after a failed attempt, but if they really think it'll make them feel better, or whatever... they're going to do it whether you want them to or not.

If it was someone I cared about, I would remind them that suicide may end all your problems, but they aren't the only person effected by it. Do they really want their family, friends, etc to go through the grief of losing you over whatever it is that made them want to die...

Either that or:

You know, it might take a lot of balls to pull that trigger (figuratively or literally), but we both know that that would be the easy way out. Prove you're better than that by facing whatever made you want to kill yourself.

Depending on who they were. I have actually said all three to a few suicidal people in the past. All of them are still alive today.

 

[MysticToast]

I'd tell them if they want to devastate the people that love them, then go for it.

 

[darkless]

Tell him to do a flip.

But seriously depends on the time of day and my mood, a "friend" of mine once called me at 3 in the morning before a test in college telling me he was going to jump off a building * told him in these exact words "Go F*ck yourself" and hung up...4 years later he's still alive so i guess I was successful.

 

[Pyramid Head]

Comfort them by telling them they only have to last four a little while longer to play Batman: Arkham City or Saint's Row: The Third.

...actually in all seriousness i get sales calls all the fucking time and don't answer the phone if the number is out of state or an 800 number that i don't recognize, so i'd probably ignore the call and then get my eardrums injured when i check my voice mail later and hear the victim pulling the trigger right next to the phone. I'd probably deserve it, but i have a dog and my neighbors dog never shuts the fuck up, so i don't need a fucking home security system, and i will never sign with fucking Master Card.

 

[let's rock]

play this to him

 

[Lucifus]

People who talk to you about committing suicide are unlikely to go through with it. They just want comfort from someone. Being overly understanding is not a good path though as they will insist they will do it. You need to put them straight and comfort them at the same time. Its not an easy line to walk but something ive had to do in the past and no desire to go through again.

 

[chaosyoshimage]

I'm assuming that this would be a prank phone call, but I'd still tell them what I've been through, I guess, since I've been there before...

 

[StarCecil]

"Dude, I'm sorry for you, and I'ma let you finish, but I'm in the middle of an intense game of Total War, so could you call back later?"

 

[xXAsherahXx]

No...don't...please...you have so much to live for...Subway has a new chicken sub...wanna go see a movie?

Something along those half-hearted lines.

 

[drisky]

Redirect them to a suicide hotline, they'd be better suited to handle it.

Most of you guys are dicks for pushing someone over the edge like that. If you don't want to deal with it fine, but don't encourage that kind of behavior.

 

[Pyro Paul]

You're just minding your own business when your phone rings and you answer. It's nobody you know, but who ever they are, they are saying they are about to kill themselves, and they wanted a stranger to console them. What do you do?

ask who they are and where they live.
call 0, on a diffrent phone.
have the operator transfer me over to their local police department
report suicide risk.

keep person on line until police arrive.

i've done it before...

or do you mean how would i keep them on the phone?
first ask what the problem is that they feel a perminent solution is the only answer.
ask why alternative solutions have yeilded no success.
ask them about themselves, describe themselves visually (unless if tense subject)

the biggest thing would say: 'i care. if i didn't i would of hung up the phone. and you care... because if you didn't you would of hung up the phone.'

the biggest soothing thing to potential suicides is knowing someone cares. As often people are pushed to that point because they feel no one cares. (exspecially if they reach out to strangers for consoling)

 

[Michael Hirst]

Accuse said person of pulling my leg and put the phone down.

 

[LiftYourSkinnyFists]

I'd tell them "You should feel twice as horrible for inflicting your emotional baggage unto me, What would I even be able to do anyway? Do what ever I don't need anybody elses troubles along with my own, Good DAY SIR"


Unless it's a female, in which I would take advantage of the fragile situation for my own sexual needs and then desert said female never to call again.