Suicide suicides, as a rule, take a long time to think over their decision, choose the time, place and method of suicide. They also, as they say, “commit suicide”: pay off debts, write a will, distribute small things. Having noticed such behavior, relatives of a possible suicide should consult a psychiatrist.
Psychotherapeutic assistance for suicides consists of three stages: crisis support, crisis intervention and assistance in social rehabilitation.
At the stage of crisis support, it is of paramount importance for the psychiatrist to establish a trusting relationship with the patient: he must be listened to without criticism or condemnation. Sometimes it is enough for a suicidal person to simply speak out to overcome the feeling of complete emotional isolation and thereby reduce the risk of suicide.
Crisis intervention includes identifying the reasons for the loss of social adaptation, activating or shaping the patient's incentives to live, joint search for alternative ways to resolve the crisis situation.
If the psychiatrist notices the results of his work: the patient shows a tendency to change his decision, these results must be consolidated by restoring the skills of social adaptation. Here, a huge role can be played by helping the patient to other people who are in the same situation as himself, or even worse. This will allow the patient to realize his need and fill his life with new meaning.
After successful completion of psychotherapy, the patient, however, should remain in the field of vision of the psychiatrist for a long time, in order to avoid possible relapses.