How do you deal with a suicidal friend?

[Miserabilia]

A lot of this is going to sound selfish but I'm just asking for advice on my side;

how do I deal with my suicidal friend? This guy has been hospitalized a lot but he never actualy attempted suicide, he just threatens with it, gets hospitalized, gets out, promises to never do it, then goes back to the start.
Lately he's been self harming a lot more too, and now that one of our friends died I just ask him, how can you still do this? Don't you feel selfish for harming everyone around you by harming yourself and threatening to die? Now that you see what death does?

I know you can't simply talk someone out of depression/bipolar/schizoid/suicidal or whatever's on his list, but how can I atleast deal with talking to him without sounding like I"m blaming him for his problems?

[James Dean]

Well usually suicidal people do suffer from some type of mental crisis. Whether that is bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or mania. So maybe when he does have an episode, you can at least understand that isnt him. That is his mental disorder causing him to act that way.

Probably whenever he discusses anything on the verge of harming himself, probably change the subject. See what hobby he is good at, or try to dissect the issue more. What made him upset? How long has been like this? Minutes, hours days? How often do his mood swings and suicidal thoughts occur?

Just offer your support whenever you can. Encourage him to take his medication and to continue to get help.

If he is in the hospital or if he's feeling really depressed, if there is anyone else he knows on a personal level, classmates, friends, get together and make a homemade card for him. :)

[Miserabilia]

Well usually suicidal people do suffer from some type of mental crisis. Whether that is bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or mania. So maybe when he does have an episode, you can at least understand that isnt him. That is his mental disorder causing him to act that way.

Probably whenever he discusses anything on the verge of harming himself, probably change the subject. See what hobby he is good at, or try to dissect the issue more. What made him upset? How long has been like this? Minutes, hours days? How often do his mood swings and suicidal thoughts occur?

Just offer your support whenever you can. Encourage him to take his medication and to continue to get help.

If he is in the hospital or if he's feeling really depressed, if there is anyone else he knows on a personal level, classmates, friends, get together and make a homemade card for him. :)

thanks :)
I don't really think a card would be a good idea, would be a little weird/impersonal because I know him too well lol.
I definetly try to encourage him and whatnot, it's just that it gets a little tiring, and I hate knowing that I can't just talk him out of it :/

[Straya]

look to be honest from what ypouve descibed hes very low risk for suicide. if someones gonna do it they dont advertize it they decide it and then they carry through with it, he is more looking for the attention threatning to commit suicide brings and if i was you everytime he brings it up just change the topic or leave the conversation

[audiophile5]

I can tell you from the point of view of the guy who needs help with coping with all the struggles of life that just letting him know that you're there, that he means something to you, that you care about him and that you want to help him get better can sometimes make a huge difference. Like a quote I've seen the other day: "I've learnt that, with the right people, the world isn't such a scary place after all."

[Ridonks_CB]

I just try my best to be there to give the person a reason to not do something really irrational..And don't feel bad for asking, it really isn't an easy thing on both sides.

[WanderingHeart]

Never drop the subject unless they make it clear they want to drop it, you don't know if maybe they really just wanted to talk about things, and that they were building up to that point.

-be there for them. That's pretty self explanatory.

-never tell them they are being selfish. This will make them feel even worse and it will not help them.

[LucieP]

If theyre truly your friend, talk to them when they need it, listen to them and (maybe some people will dis-agree) tell their parents or a cop if it looks like theyre serious about suicide & like theyre about to act on it.