Caregiver Tip #4: Take your loved one seriously
"I lost my brother Greg to suicide less than a year ago. One of the most important things I want to tell you is to always take your loved one seriously if they are telling you they want to A.) take their own life...or B.) have told you they have EVER thought about it.
I emphasize the latter because years ago, I had conversations with my brother about a time he was contemplating suicide. He then told me not to worry because he promised he would never do that. And just like that, I tied up that response in a pretty little bow. I felt a sigh of relief having suicide off the table. Well, that conversation haunts me now. I remember recently, I was concerned about my brother. I was scared to ask him if he was having suicidal thoughts because I didn’t want to put any ideas in his head. That is a common misconception I have since learned. You see, once suicide is on the table, it remains there. There is nothing I could say that would put those ideas in his head; they were already there. Please follow up, ask the questions. I sure wish I had."
