I write a lot about awareness of the symptoms of depression & suicide, hoping that we can save a life.
I’ve told the story about the doctor who convinced me to try to help myself with a few short words.
The scenario that you will ever have to talk someone down off of a ledge, literally or figuratively, is unlikely.
The notion that if you’ve lost someone, you could have said anything differently at any time to prevent that is false.
Most people who have been suicidal will tell you – there’s nothing you could have said that they would have listened to.
It’s not really through speaking that we can help each other; if anything, it’s more likely through listening.
Really listening takes practice, and lots of it. I’m first starting to get better at it this past year or two.
Simply taking the time to listen to the people we care about – what they say, and what they don’t say – is probably more powerful than anything you can say, or, I can write.
That doctor, he didn’t have magic words. He just figured out what I was trying to say, even though I wouldn’t say it out loud.
[…] to say, very difficult to practice. That’s what we want though, isn’t it? To be […]