How to Help a Loved One Obsessed with Suicide: Essential Steps and Treatments – Bipolar Burble Blog

It is very difficult to see a loved one obsessed with suicide. It’s very scary when you don’t know what to do. This is probably why two people have asked me about it lately. And while there are many things you can do to help a person obsessed with suicide, the most important thing is probably to get them professional help. Here’s how to get help and what kind of help might work for a loved one who is suicidal.

What does it mean when a loved one is obsessed with suicide?

A suicidal obsession can mean several things. It can mean that the person is depressed to the point of wanting to die, of course, but it can also mean that a person is suffering from obsessive thought patterns that involve suicide.

For example, when a person is depressed, suicide may be a symptom. This can mean that a person feels like a burden to others and that the world would be better off without them. To the depressed person, suicide may seem like a logical act, given their pain and the effects it has on others. This can lead to obsessive thoughts about suicide.

On the other hand, some people suffer from obsessive suicidal thoughts even though they do not want to act on them. They could be visions or thoughts of suicide that arise without warning or provocation (intrusive thoughts). I found that obsessive thinking patterns are common in people with bipolar disorder, but they can happen to other people too.

Of course, no matter why your loved one is obsessed with suicide, they need help.

When Your Loved One Is Obsessed With Suicide, Make Sure They Are Safe

The first priority when helping a loved one who is obsessed with suicide for any reason is to make sure they are safe and unable or unwilling to act on their obsessive thoughts. Many people focus on being the personal deterrent to their loved one’s suicide. In other words, they do not leave the person alone, they do not hide lethal means, etc. While I understand why this is the approach, people who are truly obsessed with suicide may need more help than that to stay safe.

A person obsessed with suicide can be a danger to themselves no matter what they do, and in those cases, hospital treatment should be considered. I realize this is not something anyone rushes toward, but it can be a critical part of the infrastructure of care. I have been hospitalized for suicidal tendencies. It’s not fun. But he kept me safe and that’s what I needed at that moment. Remember, it is much better for your loved one to be alive and angry with you than to not be alive at all.

If your loved one is in danger, the best thing you can do is contact your doctor and schedule hospital treatment as soon as possible. However, this is not always possible due to how quickly one can become a danger to themselves. In these cases, call 9-8-8 or even 9-1-1 and request an ambulance if necessary. Believe me, I know how unfun this is. But I repeat, your safety is the most important thing.

Please understand that no matter how much effort you put, sometimes you can’t keep your loved one safe without help. That doesn’t make you a bad person. That makes you human.

When Your Loved One Is Obsessed With Suicide, Get Them Professional Help

Previously, I wrote about how to help someone who is suicidal. This is a good holistic view of how to help someone in this state. However, it doesn’t go into detail about the professional help your suicide-obsessed loved one needs.

If your loved one is obsessed with suicide, they absolutely need professional help. This is not a problem that you or they can face alone. It is serious and can cause death. You need to get help from people who are specifically trained to deal with it.

If your loved one is not receiving mental health care

If your loved one is not already receiving mental health care, they need it right away. You should talk to your loved one’s primary care doctor to get this for them. The primary care doctor may choose to start treatment (for example, may prescribe an antidepressant if the person is diagnosed with depression) at that time, or may refer your loved one to someone else, such as a psychiatrist, for treatment. adequate treatment. Remember, when a mental health problem is serious, a primary care doctor is usually not qualified to treat it long-term.

If your loved one receives mental health care

If your loved one is receiving treatment and is obsessed with suicide, it is clear that their current treatment is not working. After all, the first function of a treatment is to keep you alive. This means you need to make sure your loved one’s healthcare provider (who should be a psychiatrist if your loved one has bipolar disorder) is aware of the situation. The best way to do this is to attend your loved one’s medical appointments. The person who is obsessed with suicide may not be as direct as they need to be without your help. It is very difficult to sit in front of a doctor and tell them how suicidal you are, but the presence of a loved one can make it easier.

It is essential that the doctor is aware of the seriousness of the problem and that a treatment plan must be in place to address it immediately. You must be 100% honest about it. Don’t beat around the bush. Don’t use euphemisms. Tell them that their loved one is at risk of suicide. Don’t leave without a plan to deal with it.

If you can’t make the appointment, perhaps because your loved one isn’t comfortable with it, you can still talk to your doctor about how suicidal your loved one is. In this situation, the doctor will not be able to tell you anything about your loved one for privacy reasons, but they will still be able to hear you.

What treatments work for a person obsessed with suicide?

As I said before, hospital treatment may very well be needed if a person is obsessed with suicide. This is not indicative of anyone’s failure. It is only indicative that the person needs intensive help. If that’s what it takes to help your loved one, then that’s what needs to be done.

It should be noted that many places will only hold a suicidal person for 72 hours. In my experience, if a person is severely depressed or experiencing other symptoms of serious mental illness, this is not enough time to stabilize them. You may need to advocate strongly with doctors or insurance companies for additional hospital care. You and your loved one’s doctor may be able to work together to try to force longer treatments if insurance gets in the way (which often happens).

Another thing to know is that lithium is the only mood disorder medication we know of that has an anti-suicidal effect. (Clozapine has also demonstrated an antisuicidal effect, but is not commonly prescribed outside of schizophrenia.) However, lithium is not without risks and difficulties (including the risk of overdose), so its impacts must be carefully considered.

Ketamine and esketamine (Sprovato) may have immediate but small antisuicidal effects, but research is ongoing.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is often an option for someone whose life is at serious risk. Again, this is not an easy treatment to undertake, so careful consideration of the risks and benefits should be made before going down this route.

More details on the above can be found here.

Psychotherapies can also help reduce suicidal ideation. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) appears to reduce suicide attempts, suicidal ideation, and hopelessness. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBR) may also reduce suicidal ideation, but the evidence is more limited.

You may be surprised to not see antidepressants on the list. This is because antidepressants may increase the risk of suicide in young people in the short term, and the evidence that they decrease it in the long term is low quality. This doesn’t mean they don’t work, but it means they may not be enough in the short term for someone who is obsessed with suicide.

In all likelihood, if your loved one is obsessed with suicide, a multi-pronged approach will be necessary.

If Your Loved One Is Obsessed With Suicide, Remember This

If your loved one is obsessed with suicide, remember that the road back can be long and full of obstacles. Suicide does not tend to happen overnight, nor does the danger it presents tend to disappear overnight. Be prepared to support your loved one for the long term.

Because of this, you may need your own support to help your loved one. This is fine. It doesn’t mean you’re weak or inadequate. It just means you’re dealing with something really difficult. Talking to other people who have been through it can help. Contact local mental health organizations or the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to learn about possible support options or consider receiving psychotherapy yourself. You can’t help them effectively if you yourself are in crisis.

Also, remember that there is nothing wrong with your loved one being suicidal – there is something wrong with their brain. Suicide is incredibly scary and you may not have a frame of reference to explain why it happens. The important thing to understand is that sometimes it happens to people and you can help them through it.

Finally, remember that your loved one can get through this. Just because your loved one is suicidal today doesn’t mean they always will be. People overcome crises like this. And they are starting from a good place because they have your help.

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