The most important steps in the face of a suicide attempt are to call medical help, immediately call 192, and see if the victim is breathing and if the heart is beating.
If the person is unconscious and does not appear to be breathing, it is important to have a cardiac massage to improve the chances of survival until medical help arrives. See how to do cardiac massage.
However, there are other specific precautions, depending on the type of suicide attempt, such as:
- Cut wrists: pressure should be applied to the wrists with clothes, clean cloths or other type of tissue to stop the bleeding until the ambulance arrives; Fall: it is advisable not to touch the victim, as it may have fractured the spine and may lead to sequelae, such as paralysis. However, if there is bleeding, compression can be done at the site to try to stop the bleeding; Ingestion of poison, remedies or drugs: one must try to find the type of substance ingested, and sleeping pills, such as Rivotril and Xanax, are usually the most used. Then, you can call the poison center on the packaging to receive further guidance; Hanging: if the person is still moving and breathing, he must be lifted or placed a chair, furniture or tall object under his feet; Drowning: remove the person from the water, lay him on his back and start cardiac massage and mouth-to-mouth breathing until medical help arrives; Firearm: apply pressure to the shooting site with clean cloths, clothing or other type of fabric to reduce bleeding until the ambulance arrives.
Suicide attempts are usually related to an untreated case of depression, and they often happen more than once, so it is important that the person is accompanied by a psychologist or psychiatrist, to regain the will to live.
How to know that there is a risk of suicide
Before a suicide attempt, the person may leave some clues as to what he intends to do and, therefore, it is important to pay attention to what he says or the messages he leaves written, especially if he already has a confirmed diagnosis of depression.
In cases where it is considered that there is a risk of suicide it is important to never leave the person alone and whenever possible to help with treatment, participating in psychotherapy sessions and following the guidelines given by the psychologist. In addition, if possible, it should also be noted whether the person is taking the correct medication, according to the therapeutic plan indicated by the psychiatrist.
See better how to identify suicidal behaviors and how to cope.
