If a person that you haven't known long calls you threatening to commit suicide & saying they only trust you, where do you draw the line between them just wanting attention and taking them seriously?
by 
Lucybell
ANSWERS: 11
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I say to err on the side of caution and talk to them as if they really meant to do it. It might be just a call for attention, but if you ended up saving a person, that would be a pretty good thing to have done.
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You ask such interesting questions! To me, a person saying they want to commit suicide isn't a threat. I also don't happen to think it is a cry for help every time, either. I think some people are dead serious (I really didn't mean that as a pun). The right thing to do would be assume they mean it, and either A) talk them down off their proverbial ledge, or B) refer them to a suicide hotline and do your best to make sure they call it. United Way's suicide hotline has the easiest number to remember: 211. +5
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I would turn the whole conversation around, because I am quite allergic to people who do that. Ofcourse I would first try to make up what it is all about. But when he/she starts threatening he has chosen the wrong person. I would ask him first, how the hell he thinks he can blackmail me emotionally while we do not know eachother that well. Answer would be: He can't, because I don't care. That would hurt a lot. This I know, but it would also wake him up. If it doesnt I would ask him why he is calling me if he wants to die so badly. 'Aren't you wasting time? Arent you hestitating, why are you hestitating?. Why am I talking to you if you are going to kill yourself anyway.' It all sounds very harsh, but my experience is that people realise I don't listen to anyone unless they are serious. They often feel ashamed about theirselves seeking attention like that. I would say that they can always call me if there is something I can change anything about. If I cannot, please dont bother me.
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Prank phone call. Hang up and forget it.
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you get their address and say you will be right over ... then you immediately call 911 and have the cops get over there ... let them handle it
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You ask them two questions: How do you plan to do it? (pills, gun, etc.) Do you have the ______________ ?(pills, gun, etc.) If they have the plan and the means, the person should not be alone at all. If you cannot go and be with them, call 911. Don't ever assume it's just for attention. You don't want someone to die knowing they asked you for help and you couldn't make a lousy phone call.
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Unfortunately you have to take suicide threats seriously. The personal guilt you would feel if you ignored them and the person then did kill themselves, would be enormous. I have known a situation where someone make constant threats of suicide, and because of this no one took them seriously, until finally he did kill himself.
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I would take the threat seriously, at least the first time I heard it. If it seemed that this was a part of the person's manipulative schtick, then it wouldn't take long to find that out and drop the friendship and ignore future calls. I'll help anyone, even someone I don't know at all. But I refuse to be manipulated in this way.
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Don't bother drawing a line. Flag them as a 'nutter' and move on. Someone who does this is probably a serial offender and is just waving a red flag.
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Its very odd that they would say they only trust you seeing as how you have said you haven't even known them long. From my experience a good sign someone is wanting to kill themselves is the giving away of alot of their items, things they wouldn't normally part with, also people with lots of depression and you can sometimes see this coming. I am sorry i cant advise you more on what to do, it would suck if they really were serious, i would probably give them anonymous number they could call, you really don't need this in your life if you hardly even know them. Not to mention the fact that i doubt you could deal with the situation correctly unless you have some training in this type of thing.
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Always take them seriously if they talk about suicide. But don't go calling the police just yet. They most likely will not actually attempt suicide, but you have to listen and talk with them regardless. If it seems like there's a real possibility, then you do something.
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