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BROS & DEPRESSION

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  • Suicide can be prevented. Most suicidal people do not want to die. They simply do not want to live with the pain.

  • It is important to take suicidal thoughts and behaviours seriously.

  • Openly talking about suicidal thoughts and feelings can save a life.

  • It is important that you know the warning signs and risk factors for suicide, and the reasons why your mate might have thoughts of suicide.

 

Helping a mate who is suicidal is complex, however there are three key actions to helping a person who is suicidal:

  1. If you think someone may be suicidal, ask them directly. ("Mate, are you having suicidal thoughts?', or 'Are you thinking of suicide?"

  2. If they say yes, do not leave them alone. 

  3. Link them with professional help. 

 

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BRO AND SUICIDE​

  • Suicide can be prevented. Most suicidal people do not want to die. They simply do not want to live with the pain.

  • It is important to take suicidal thoughts and behaviours seriously.

  • Openly talking about suicidal thoughts and feelings can save a life.

  • It is important that you know the warning signs and risk factors for suicide, and the reasons why your mate might have thoughts of suicide.

 

Helping a mate who is suicidal is complex, however there are three key actions to helping a person who is suicidal:

  1. If you think someone may be suicidal, ask them directly. ("Mate, are you having suicidal thoughts?', or 'Are you thinking of suicide?"

  2. If they say yes, do not leave them alone. 

  3. Link them with professional help. 

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Let's break that process down.​

  • Firstly, know that it’s okay to talk about suicide with your friend. When framed in terms of recovery, treatment, and hope, talking about suicide is one of the most helpful things you can do to prevent it.

  • Bringing up the subject of suicide won’t make things worse. The only way things get worse is when you don’t talk about it and ignore the problems a guy might be dealing with.

  • Start with what you feel comfortable asking and go from there. Let him know he can be honest, and that you only want to help.

ALWAYS REMEMBER TO STAY CALM, DO NOT JUDGE, AND TRY NOT TO FIX THEIR PROBLEM. NEVER, EVER KEEP THEIR THOUGHTS OF SUICIDE A SECRET. iF IT IS A CRISIS, CONTACT YOUR COUNTRY'S EMERGENCY NUMBER.

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Source: HelpGuide.org International, HeadsUp.org and MHFA Australia.

Find out if your country offers Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training.

If you're in Western Australia, check BROS GLOBAL's MHFA page here.

  • The next step is to see if he is willing to seek professional help, that is a critical step for any man dealing with suicidal thoughts. He can start with a visit to a family doctor, who can then refer him to other resources, like a counsellor for talk therapy, as needed.

  • With his permission, remove potentially dangerous objects such as weapons from his living area. If you’re a roommate or a partner, this may even include medications – talk to him about holding onto them or keeping them someplace out of the way.

  • When a person is having suicidal thoughts they are in a tremendous amount of pain. He may turn to alcohol or other substances to numb it out, but these substances can make depression worse and dangerously lower his ability to fight suicidal thoughts. As much as is possible, try to limit his access to alcohol or other substances if he is struggling with thoughts of suicide.

  • In case of a crisis, come up with a plan for what he will do – who he can call, which health lines should be contacted, and where the nearest hospital is. Create a list of contacts that includes friends, family, and professionals for him to contact if he ever needs to.

  • Suggesting to your friend to go see a doctor might not work the first time, if so be a steady source of support and helpful encouragement. When he does go, make sure to follow-up and ask him how you can further support him. If you don’t have time to meet in person, send him a message to see how he’s doing, or give him a quick call to let him know you’re thinking about him.

  • If things become overwhelming and you need a break, be honest. Let him know what’s going on and work toward a more sustainable level of support.

  • Finally, if he gets frustrated or upset, don’t take it personally. Remember depression affects a guy’s mood, and for some that means being more irritable, angry, or negative than usual. Be patient. If he knows that he has the support of others and can stick to his treatment, he will get better.

  • You can also help him connect with other friends and family members who can also lend a hand.

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