One of the biggest obstacles in suicide prevention is that many people don’t believe someone when they say they’re suicidal.  As we speak, there are people debating whether Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, was “really” suicidal.  Suicidal thoughts are incredibly common. It doesn’t matter how wealthy or well-known someone is.  Anyone is capable of sliding down “The Ramp” to suicide. This is why when someone admits to thoughts of self-harm or begins to act in a manner that makes you concerned for their safety, it is important to take it seriously.  If someone indicates they’re suicidal, believe them. 

There is a tendency to dismiss the threat of suicide.  Sometimes we dismiss someone’s cries for help because we can’t imagine that they’d actually follow through with it.  Other times, we may feel like an individual is just seeking attention.  When we ignore cries for help, we make it that much harder to prevent suicide.  Ignoring a cry for help also escalates the likelihood that an individual will make a suicide attempt. Even if you do believe that their talk of suicide is a manipulation, treating it like a serious threat will help end that manipulation.  We don’t “really” know what someone might do.  For more on this, check out this episode’s blog, “Don’t Be Skeptical About Suicide.”