Suicidal Callers

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Suicidal CallersLETN-405-0705NotesEconomic CrisisEconomic crisis can be caused by a number of factors. Some factors may notbe under the control of the suicidal individual and some may. The individualmay have lost his job, or a family member may have suffered an illness orinjury that created a financial burden on the person. Other problems mayexist that lead to the crisis. For example, a drinking or gambling problemmay cause or contribute to economic crisis. Economic crisis is particularlydifficult to deal with; more marriages in the United States fail due to moneyproblems than from any other cause.Personal/Social CrisisPersonal or social crisis deals with an individual’s concern aboutrelationships with others. These relationships might be with family, friends,or co-workers. Fear of not being accepted or losing status could cause apersonal/social crisis.Psychological CrisisPsychological crisis is a result of inner conflict. An individual’s self-esteemor self-doubt, performance anxiety, or feelings of self-worth might be thecause of the psychological crisis. A person who is constantly asked toperform actions that go against his personal beliefs or principles mayexperience a psychological crisis.Physical CrisisPhysical crisis may come about as a result of disease or illness, which hasaffected the individual over a long period of time, or it may be a result of arecent injury or change to a person’s physical abilities.Not everyone who is experiencing one of these levels of crisis is suicidal. Infact, many of us progress though different levels of crisis throughout ourlives. When the level of crisis reaches the point that someone considerssuicide as an alternative, several indicators may be displayed.Basic Suicidal Response AssumptionsTelecommunicators should never assume anything, but every agency mustmake some basic response assumptions regarding suicidal callers.Assumption no. 1: we will try to stop all suicidal people.Regardless of what someone has done, how many times they havethreatened or attempted suicide, or how intent they seem, no one isdismissed and no telecommunicator will fail to act diligently in any suicidalsituation. Telecommunicators cannot be placed in the position ofdetermining different levels of response based upon personal variables.Assumption no. 2: people have final responsibility for their life.Law Enforcement Training Network 6
Suicidal CallersLETN-405-0705NotesEven though public safety personnel will respond to all threats of suicide andwill try to stop all suicidal individuals, telecommunicators cannot takeownership of the suicidal person’s problems and they cannot takeresponsibility for the suicidal person’s actions. Telecommunicators tryeverything they can to alter the person’s desire to harm himself, but in theend, that person is responsible for his own actions and life.Assumption no. 3: all suicide situations are volatile.Telecommunicators may believe they have diffused the situation, butsuicidal situations are volatile by their very nature. The caller is in a veryemotional state, he may be armed, and he may quickly turn violent towardothers as his emotions change from depression to anger.Telecommunicators must never let their guard down no matter how long theyhave been talking to someone and no matter how calm the situation mayappear.Assumption no. 4: all suicidal threats are serious.Although occasionally someone may indicate suicidal tenancies just to getattention, all cases must be taken seriously. One of the most commonresponses from people who know a suicide victim is “I never thought hewould actually do it.” Every threat must be taken seriously and dealt withimmediately.Assumption no. 5: no group or class is immune from suicide.Suicide statistics indicate that no social group, gender, religion, ethnic, oreconomic group or class is immune from suicide.Assumption no. 6: you cannot plant the idea of suicide in the mind ofsomeone.Successful suicide intervention requires that telecommunicators deal withthe issue in a straightforward manner. As previously discussed, people arenot susceptible to the suggestion of suicide.Assumption no. 7: every suicidal person has some doubt and uncertainty.Although some people are intent on killing themselves and no interventionis possible, telecommunicators must respond with the assumption thatsuicidal people have some doubt about killing themselves.Assumption no. 8: personal judgments have no place in suicideintervention.When attempting to intervene in a suicide crisis, telecommunicators maybecome knowledgeable of facts at odds with their personal values andmorals. If a telecommunicator’s personal values are at odds with the caller,the telecommunicator must remember assumption no. 1: we will try to stopall suicidal individuals.Assumption no. 9: empathy is the best suicide intervention skill.Law Enforcement Training Network 7
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