When a Friend or Loved One Is Suicidal: What Can You Do If There’s No Hotline, No Doctor, No System?

With all the global chaos these last few years, we've probably all got a friend or two who we are worried about.

Most suicide guides focus on listening and calling mental health services. In the UK we have the Samaritans, for example. But what if you live somewhere that doesn't have those services?

For many people around the world, there isn't a hospital or a doctor or a mental health professional. So what do you do then?

I'm going to kick off by saying I don't have a definitive answer. I work with people in difficult situations and I have found there are no easy solutions.

I do it because life is uncertain, and I believe that if we only dealt with simple things, people in difficulty would be alone. That can't be good. Also, mental health practice is always risky; it's part of the deal.

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So, what do you do? Here are five things I’ve found helpful—not perfect, but better than silence:

#1 It's damn scary when someone says they are suicidal.
So when you are scared, that's perfectly okay. You'd be a bit of a twit not to be afraid.
Breathe and accept it's part of the situation.

#2 Immediate things that you can say:

• I'm glad you're sharing this with me
• I'm sorry you are hurting
• Tell me, what brought this to a head? ← and then listen
• How can I help you?

#3 Although it's tricky, you can distract your friend from suicide by focusing on the internal coping skills your friend has.
You might start this by asking:
"Do you remember another time when you were in crisis or near it? What did you find helpful then?" ← and then listen

#4 Talk safety, not assumptions.
Identify who your friend trusts in their life who is close by and who can help: family, friends, housemates, neighbours.

This is where it gets tricky:
Be aware that in many places, asking for help can be actively dangerous.
This is especially pertinent for women and LGBTQ people. For example:

• A woman living in a country where women have few rights may be sent to live with abusive relatives. This is because those cultures believe in 'out of sight, out of mind'.
• If she is in an abusive environment, she may also be beaten, whipped, or jailed by the authorities simply for wanting to leave.
• An LGBTQ person who asks for help in a country where homosexuality is illegal can be jailed, whipped, or executed. Even if they don't divulge their orientation, this fear may prevent them from seeking any kind of help—even from a family doctor or tribal healer.

Another issue is when mental health issues are perceived as a personal weakness or form of wilful stubbornness.
In these communities, seeking help results instantly in a lecture that can be summed up as,
"Say your prayers, obey your parents."

Sometimes, it comes with community shaming.
You know, because everyone loves a good shaming and it's so incredibly helpful 🙄

If you don't come from one of these places, this can be hard to believe—but it's vital that you understand and respect how dangerous the world can be for marginalized and disenfranchised people.

So, when you talk it over, be respectful and put safety first.
Usually, the person you are talking to has already tried all kinds of safe and useful reaching out.

But, supposing they can think of someone—in that case, discuss what they might say and what the person they reach out to might answer.

If it sounds good to both of you, discuss who will make the call.
Your friend may want to do it themselves, or with you on a conference call, or they may feel shy and want you to do it for them.
Whatever they want, be gentle.

If there is nobody to call and there is no doctor, hospital or other help, then keep talking until the situation de-escalates.
Then make a plan for being in touch.

For your own peace of mind, make one firm appointment to text within a few hours, otherwise you'll be on tenterhooks.
And when you text, see how things are and take it from there.

If you can, open up the network so your friend gets loving support from more than one person.

Note: this may not be possible.
Often, people who are driven to extremes by despair are alone.
So be prepared to be a sole support for some time.

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Being there for someone in pain isn’t easy, but it matters.
If you’ve got ideas, stories, or questions, please see me on Facebook or LinkedIn.

Let’s help each other do better.

(Note: written April 2020, minor edits and social media links added April 2025)

 

The Non-Apology: How Abusers Act When Caught Out

Remember Thomas Callaway, 43, of Statesboro, Georgia, USA, who slapped journalist Alex Bozarjian on the rear back in on live TV back in 2019? First he lied about it, and when he realised he was caught on video, he tried to act as if it was a mistake. As it's classic abuse, it inspired me to write this post.

People who are into getting power and control think and act differently from the rest of us. Therefore, it can be tough to get your mind around how manipulative they are.

One way to see through trickery and gaslighting is to analyse apologies.

Many abusers are careful to maintain a façade of decency, respectability and fairness, so they operate behind closed doors. But with videos and the #MeToo movement, they're being called out more and more.

When confronted, you will hear them make 'apologies' that go like this:

#1 They state horror and pretend they don't know what's going on
#2 They appeal for pity through personal illness or sick children
#3 They make a non-apology
#4 They point out some completely unrelated virtuous act

Something like this:

"I'm totally shocked!  I don't understand. I'm just a simple person. Why are you angry?  You know I haven't been well recently. If I did something, and I don't know what, I'm sorry. You know I go to church every week and I volunteer."

The approach is actually very clever because it's a layered effort meant to attack you.

#1 They state horror and pretend they don't know what's going on
It's a deliberate misdirect that has two aims: to make you doubt yourself and to get other people to question whether you are truthful.

#2 They appeal for pity through personal illness or sick children
It's a deliberate misdirect with two aims: to make you feel guilty and to get other people to think you are attacking an 'untouchable' target.
Even if they are sick etc, this is a red herring, a deliberate attempt to gaslight you. Put crudely, men with dicky tickers and single mums of autistic kids can be abusive predators.

#3 They make a non-apology
Because some people will see the word sorry and not realise that it's meaningless because of it being sandwiched in between denial and attack. Also, predators offend face to face but they apologise in public and not to the victim if they can possibly help it. The remorse is a show to get public opinion on their side; they have no interest in the feelings of the victim.

#4 They point out some completely unrelated virtuous act
This is to appeal to black and white thinkers who see humanity as simply good or bad. In truth of course, we are all mixed up with bits of good and bad floating to the surface all the time.
Predators hope that the audience will say, "OMG, a person who did something good once can't possibly be an abusive predator." It's powerful stuff, which is why so many clever predators opt to work in religious institutions. If you aim to enjoy a life as a predator, that kind of authority and white hat regalia offers good camouflage.  

A real apology sounds like this:

#1 Owning the act
#2 Saying you're sorry directly to the victim
#3 Asking for forgiveness
#4 Offering to make amends (if appropriate)

"I'm so sorry I called you a twit. It was wrong of me. Can you forgive me? May I give you two tickets to the concert to make up for it?"

Analysing how people apologise is important for figuring out if you're in a toxic relationship. It's also useful for "she said, he said" situations. 

By the way, although abusers often get away with their violence, Thomas Calloway was caught on videotape, which helped to get him convicted and fined.

Photo Credit: The nose is from Pixabay

What To Do When Your Friend Is In Lockdown Or Quarantined With Toxic Parents Or Partners

Note: this was written as a Facebook post for a Malaysian audience in the first Covid lockdown in March 2020

Abuse isn't limited to beating the hell out of people with a cane or strap.

Abuse can be verbal.

"Did you hear Tim got a promotion? Why don't you get a promotion?"
"Julie is married. You're almost 16/21/23/29. Nobody will want you."
"What do you mean, you're gay? We don't do that in our family!"
"You're too fat. This is a good time for me to help you diet."
"You're a failure. This is a good time for me to make you study really hard."
"You always make the wrong choices."
"Stupid."
"Dumb."
"Disappointment."

There are people who live with really horrible emotionally abusive people, nasty types who don't leave physical bruises but who run their prey down remorselessly.

I'm already seeing a spike in people becoming sick because of their toxic parents and partners. I'm hoping to God there isn't a spate of suicides.

What can you do?

Don't say, "They love you really." Because toxic people are shitty and that's not love talking.

Don't offer 'fixes' because toxic people are about power and control. They can't be managed when you're all shoved in the same house together.

Do say, "You are a good person. I care for you. Other people care for you too. This situation is horrible but it's not going to last forever. When this is over, we talk about how to get you out of this situation. In the meantime, lock yourself away as much as possible, know I'm here for you, and we keep talking." 

Then, LET THEM VENT. Let them say horrible things and just be there for them. Don't be shocked or tell them off. Living with toxic people is poison, so letting them vent lets them expel part of that poison.

If you think they're actively suicidal, and you're in Malaysia or a place where it's safe to report, call your local police. They can go and get your friend and take them to hospital. Or call your local council office and ask for help. You can also try suicide call centres like the Befrienders or whatever they are in your country to ask for emergency numbers. 

If you think they're actively suicidal and they're in a place where there is little help or where asking for help is dangerous, read this post on Suicide Counselling In Developing Nations

I hope this helps.

Credit: hand is from Shutterbug on Pixabay

Invisible Workers In The Covid-19 Pandemic

I thought I'd shake this blog up a bit by writing the occasional thought piece. If you want to discuss this, see me on my FB page.

As non-essential workers are being told to stay home, I'm trying to figure out what to do to help M, the lady who cleans for me once a week. 

M is not local and she's a cleaner by day for a big company. She and her colleagues have been told to stay home, and their employer gave them a 5kg bag of rice for the fortnight.  That's it.

Now, in the West I would send a pile of cash and that would be it. But here things are rather different.

As most of you don't know Asia very well, I would like to explain.

We have a tonne of foreign workers here in Malaysia, some are rich and spoilt like me but many others come from neighbouring countries and they tend to be poor and uneducated. M belongs to that group.

First, M speaks Indonesian as her second language and I speak it poorly, so she and I can only communicate on small matters.

Charlie, our neighbour's cat, and Swooner, our cat, were best friends

I fixed that by roping in Charlie's mum to phone her. 

Charlie's mum is a career woman with a massive team and she's used to talking to ladies like M. Also, they know each other. 

While Charlie's mum is currently a couple of hours away, the magic handphones are coming into play.

Second, M is illiterate and rather cut off, so she only learned about the crisis when we informed her. It's taken Charlie's mum three calls over three days to explain what is happening, what a virus is and what curfews are all about.

Third, M doesn't have a bank account or a credit card. As I haven't seen her in a week, she probably has no cash, either.  So sending her money is not a matter of pressing buttons.

Fourth, the reason I hesitate to hand over a pile of cash is that M comes from a society where women are routinely deprived of their earnings.  Also, there is almost no privacy. What M knows, everyone around her hears and sees. There are no secrets.

So, if I hand over a bunch of moolah, it's very possible she ends up with no groceries while her male relatives back home go out boozing.

Just writing that makes me worried about infantalising her. She's a grown woman with kids, for goodness sake!

Then again, when I lived in Indonesia, I made that mistake once with another lady. During a mini economic downturn there in 1989 I handed her a load of money so she could keep her kids afloat. Her relatives spent it on booze and hookers, which created a massive fight in the family. I learned from that and won't repeat the error.

Do unto others is a crap rule when their culture is completely different.

So, what can I do? If M were standing in front of me, I could use Google translate and we'd spend an hour trying to figure out what she would like from me. But she's not here and talking to her over the phone is not easy even for Charlie's mum.

M is not comfortable with phones and this situation scares her. Also, she will find it hard to speak honestly about her family as we're outsiders.

So, I'm afraid circumstances have conspired to make it impossible for her to open her heart.

Then there's a further complication. As M is foreign, she can't go out by herself easily. She is a legal worker with permits etc but the police here regularly hassle foreigners and extort money from them.  With the controlled movement orders, it's probably best she doesn't leave her home.

I thought of sending a boatload of groceries. But M lives in a warren of tenements and the supermarket won't deliver there.

As Charlie's mum knows the problems too, we have devised a few questions that will hopefully help. We'll ask M to give us a list of groceries that she needs, and I will have the supermarket deliver to me. Then I will arrange to meet up with M someone near her place for a handover. (The police won't hassle me because I'm white).

I think the plan will work - as long as the controlled movement order doesn't turn into a lockdown.

Why am I telling you this? Mainly because Western news agencies don't cover this kind of story. There are references to gig workers and so on, but people like M tend to be overlooked. It's as if they're invisible.

I'm an optimistic person usually and I'm hoping that this pandemic will lead to some serious positive changes in society. We need more equality, fewer billionaires, and a more consideration, thought and heart for the poor.

Hopefully, sharing this will contribute to the conversation.

Panicking about The Corona Virus? Tips For Coping

The news is full of it and people are stripping supermarket shelves of food and loo paper. If you're anxious, here are some tips on how to regain your balance.

Take a long, slow breath. When you are panicky, your body reacts instinctively by gearing up for action.  It hits a programmed pattern nicknamed fight or flight mode that is designed for times of trouble. Basically, your body prepares you for running away very fast or for bashing an enemy.   

What happens? Your breath speeds up so you suck in more oxygen and your heart speeds up so your blood runs through your veins faster. That combo helps deliver powerful oxygen to your muscles.

At the same time, your brain floods you with chemicals that make you super alert. And as a kicker, some non-essential systems shut down temporarily - like your digestion.

If you've going into a fight, this is super awesome because you're alert, strong and focussed.

If it's a false alarm, you have to stand down. You'll feel breathless, sweaty and your stomach may be upset.

If you do it off and on all day long, your body soon gets into a right old mess.

So, step one is to take a long, slow breath. Focus on calming down your breathing.

Look at something pleasant or soothing. You need to get out of flight or fight mode, so force your attention to happy stuff. Like Tic Tac and Target here.

This is Tic Tac, our little princess

This is Target, our senior cat

Or perhaps you prefer a mountain scene. Whatever makes you smile and feel peaceful, train your thoughts on it.

Self soothe with a mantra of common sense. While it is sensible to be cautious about disease, panic doesn't do you any good. So it's important to reassure yourself of some basics.

People love panic. Panic is exciting, it livens up a dull day, and it gets you attention. So whether they mean to or not, people will be encouraging focus on the issue.

Panic sells. Newspapers, tv programmes and businesses are fueled by interest and panic is lots of interest. So whether they mean to or not, they will be encouraging focus on the issue.

Most of the panic is 'what might be' and not 'what is'. Speculation can look like helpful preparation but you should be asking yourself, what exactly could I contribute in a global apocalypse? If the answer is not very much, then there's no point in running around in a panic.

Reach out to people you love. Connecting with others will give you a lift and remind you of the good things in life. Call a friend, eat with your family (if you like them!) and play with your pets and kids. Also spend time on your favourite hobby. Or have sex. That's always a pick me up.

Focus on sensible advice. Wash your hands a bit more and be sensible about your health. If you think updates are useful, opt for a single daily update from a health information resource you trust, like a local hospital or government health ministry.

In short:

Take a long slow breath

Acknowledge that everyone is upset

Switch off from the constant focus

Limit yourself to a single update from a health resource you trust

And spend time on activities you love

How To Talk About Bad BreakUps

We're talking more and more about tough issues such as emotional abuse, rape and relationship violence. This is great! 

But as the subject is such a painful one, it can be tough to figure out how to approach these discussions.

Here's a quick easy guide.

When you're talking to a victim
You're chatting away, saying casually, "So, you broke up, huh? What happened?" and the person you're talking to bursts into tears, shuts down or is visibly uncomfortable. Your heart sinks and you realise you've entered difficult territory.

#1 Rule: Resist the impulse to ask about the gory details!

Do not ask for details
BECAUSE
1) It is asking the victim to relive the trauma, which is cruel.
2) Asking for details can also sound like, "I need to know your reasoning", which implies you have the right to judge, which you don't.
 
Just say,

    I'm so sorry. I can see this is painful for you.
    Would you like to talk about this or shall we change the subject?

And leave it up to the victim.

When you're the victim
Sometimes you want to talk and sometimes you don't. In case you need a script for when you're tired and fed up, try this:

    It was a difficult/violent/abusive relationship
    You will understand this is painful to me
    I won't discuss it

IF THEY PUSH: try and resist the temptation to call them damn insensitive interfering busybodies. Although it's an accurate description, it probably won't help.

Definitely don't bop them on the nose. Tempting as it is, it's illegal.

Deep breath, centre yourself and repeat forcefully, "This is painful to me. I won't discuss it."
Or simply walk away.

Don't worry about seeming to be rude. Removing yourself from being harassed is simply sensible behaviour.

Want to support victims?
Many victims are paralysed by public interest and scrutiny. Being questioned, gossiped about and examined by all and sundry is being traumatised all over again.

Here's how you can transform your family parties, office, school and club into a safe space that supports victims:

#1 Shut down gossip.
Beatings, shouting matches and drama are fuel for gossip but it's a dagger to the heart for victims. When people are relishing the horror with juicy gossip, speak up. "This is not a TV drama. This is real people hurting. I won't listen to this kind of talk."

#2 When you see a victim being pestered, speak up.
"John/Julie have made it clear they don't want to discuss it. Respect that." And then change the subject.

#3 Point out uncomfortable home truths.
"This is a private matter for John/Julie. It does not concern others."
"This is a private personal matter for John/Julie. You don't have a right to judge."

Speak up!  Make the world a better place for victims.  

Three Traditional Parenting Approaches That Leave Emotional Scars

Over the years, a good number of my Malaysian and South East Asian clients have discussed several common childhood experiences that have shaped their adult mental health twenty, thirty and even forty years on. 

 

I'm sharing here, in case it's happened to you. 

"I will leave you in the road by yourself"

Said once when in a temper because a kid's dawdling is human. But when used as a threat, and when mock-abandonment is used as a punishment, you get several things happening.

First, the child feels insecure. They know they can't rely on their family to keep them safe. So, they become anxious. As adults, they suffer from anxiety and are easily stressed.

Second, some decide that as they can't rely on their family, they can't rely on anyone. That fear knocks on and causes issues in their adult relationships with spouses, bosses, and friends.

Third, this kind of punishment can lead to the kid deciding the world is a hostile place and that action is better than suffering. As a teen, this can be in the form of rebellion (anger, joining gangs etc). As an adult, you're looking at a nasty cycle of emotional and possibly physical violence.

"I am your mother/father and I am never wrong"

This attitude sends an important message: kids learn that being an adult means you never have to take ownership of bad behaviour or apologize.

In a nutshell, adults who act like gods, teach their kid to be devils. Little kids from homes like these get into trouble with their playmates at school because they copy their mums and dads. 

If they're lucky, teachers and other adults model proper behaviour and teach them how to get along.

If they're unlucky, they're lonely as kids and they run into trouble as adults because they won't deal effectively with their own bad behaviour in their own relationships, including those with their partners, their own kids, friends and with employees/staff.

Hello to fights, divorce, loneliness and huge staff turnover. Never mind the lack of personal growth.

"You'd look better if you're thinner/more muscular"

Telling a child they need to be slim or to look ripped is telling your kids they're unlovable. Apart from having rock bottom self-esteem, this lays the ground for teenage mental health issues that includes eating disorders, body image issues and unhealthy lifestyles including drug and alcohol abuse. 

 

Kids who grow up feeling that they're unlovable, suffer. They don't understand that it's the parenting that's lousy; they think they're somehow 'wrong'. 

 

These poor kids may become bulimic, depressed, anxious or self-harm. They may try and compensate and become over-achievers. Or they just give up and burn out. Or they join a gang that offers them the love they crave.

As adults, they may continue to be anorexic, bulimic, depressed, anxious and there's a big chance they fall for abusive partners who leverage that inner feeling of worthlessness in order to gain control.

There are more things that happen in families that cause pain for generations, but these are three common things that come up over and over again that we seldom discuss.

I think it's time to talk. 

Photo credit: Image by Mandyme27 from Pixabay