Yesterday, my grade found out one of our classmates is in the hospital. She (I'll call her Callie) was suicidal. She texted someone saying "I want to take a lot of pills" and the counselor saw and called her parents. So many people were crying, but for some reason I didn't. I don't know why, I just knew she would be okay eventually. I also kind of empathized with her... I know what it feels like to not want to live. I'm not imminently suicidal, but I think everyone wonders what it would be like if they weren't alive. My actual question is, how do I talk to her? Callie is coming back to school soon, and we're all allowed to write her letters. What do I say?
You can be honest with her if you two are close, cheer her up with your sympathize like you said. I've thought the same thing like this when life is difficult to deal, but then realized that "If you got a life, why not live it worthy, show how tough you are to settle it all", no offense but suicide is such a way to call yourself a fool.
Hey I think you should show some honesty in your letter, write as much about your experience as you feel comfortable doing.
I am a suicide survivor. The best thing that I wanted after my attempt is acceptance and love--unconditionally. Don't say you understand, because no one can exactly understand what any individual goes through. But, you can be there for them. There are two things I needed and they conflicted. First, I needed someone to talk to about how I felt non-judgmentally and without giving me advice. (That's what psychologists are for and they're trained for it--most people aren't and do more harm.) A friendly, CONFIDENTIAL ear is a wonderful comfort. Secondly, I needed help getting my mind OFF of my problems. I needed friends who could help me have fun and get some joy back in my life without bringing up my problems. Most importantly, just be there for her. A call or a text or a card frequently is essential. And don't forget to keep it up after things "seem" normal again--it takes a long time to heal. Thank you for being such a good friend to someone who needs it. Tracker.
