hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (Jerry Hollombe) (02/09/85)
>From: edhall@randvax.UUCP (Ed Hall) >Newsgroups: net.singles >Subject: Re: js >Message-ID: <2288@randvax.UUCP> > >A few years back, the director of a suicide-prevention center once gave >explicit instructions to his staff that they were *not* to discuss >suicide with callers or clients. A potential suicide was encouraged to >discuss his/her feelings and problems, but if an attempt was made to >discuss suicide, the center staff was to tell them to change the subject >or the conversation was over. After two warnings the call or session >was terminated, with the understanding that it could resume only if a >promise was made not to discuss suicide. > >The strategy worked; in the years this policy was in force no client >ever successfully committed suicide. The message clients were given was >clear: *we're not going to play the ``suicide game''*. This broke the >obsessive cycle that often leads to suicide, and promoted more >functional ways of dealing with problems. >After this director left the center, the policy was abandoned; the new >director was afraid of lawsuits (which is understandable!). However, >the center had two suicides in his first year. This concept runs contrary to what I was taught when I worked at the SPC, but I'm willing to learn. Does anyone else have experience with this technique? With what results? Responses to the net, please. -- ============================================================================== The Polymath (Jerry Hollombe) Citicorp TTI If thy CRT offend thee, pluck 3100 Ocean Park Blvd. it out and cast it from thee. Santa Monica, California 90405 (213) 450-9111, ext. 2483 {vortex,philabs}!ttidca!ttidcc!hollombe
adolph@ssc-vax.UUCP (Mark Adolph) (02/19/85)
*** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE *** > A few years back, the director of a suicide-prevention center once gave > explicit instructions to his staff that they were *not* to discuss > suicide with callers or clients. A potential suicide was encouraged to > discuss his/her feelings and problems, but if an attempt was made to > discuss suicide, the center staff was to tell them to change the subject > or the conversation was over. After two warnings the call or session > was terminated, with the understanding that it could resume only if a > promise was made not to discuss suicide. This also goes against everything that I was taught in my five years as a peer counselor at Stanford. We were told that these things should be brought out in the open and discussed, and that any mention of suicide should be taken SERIOUSLY. Seems to me that if I were suicidal and that last spark of self-preservation made me call this place, and if I was told that my suicidal feelings were a game, I would hang up and shoot myself just to spite them ("See, nobody cares."). I'd also like to here more about this. Even if it worked, it seems incredibly risky. -- Mark A. ...uw-beaver!ssc-vax!adolph