The EnlightenMeFree (EMF) Online Debate Forum

It is very important that family and friends know what to do and what to be alert for after someone they care about has had a suicide attempt. It is a very scary time for both the person and those who care for the person. I receive a lot of calls from people asking me how to help the person who may have just been released from the hospital or how to help their teenager cope with a recent attempt by one of their friends. Research shows that in the days, weeks and months immediately following an attempt is the time when the person needs a lot of support and that is a time that he is most at risk of suicide. Below please find some helpful links for family and friends. Only 10% of the people who attempt suicide will go on to complete and die by suicide. But 80% of those who die by suicide have made a previous attempt. So while chances are that this person won't attempt again, he or she is also at an increased risk for dying by suicide. The first six months after a hospitalization are especially critical to the suicide attempt survivor, and the person remains at an elevated risk for the entire first year. Also know that research shows that 90% of those who die by suicide had a diagnosable mental illness at the time of death. (depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, substance abuse, eating disorders, yet most people with a mental illness do not die by suicide).

Try not to focus only on the act itself. What else was going on in the person's life that may have precipitated the attempt? Do they abuse alcohol or drugs? Do they gamble? these are some issues that are often associated with attempts. Support is available for these issues.

For the full article - After a Suicide Attempt -
http://www.griefspeaks.com/id121.html