5. Propose that the person accompany you to consult a professional right away. Many campuses, towns, and cities have hotlines that you or the suicidal individual can call anonymously. Other possibilities include the emergency room of a general hospital, a campus health center or counseling center, or the campus or local police. If you are unable to maintain contact with the suicidal person, get professional assistance as soon as you separate. Imagine yourself having an intimate conversation with a close campus friend, Chris. You know that things have not been good.

Chris’s grandfather died six weeks ago, and the two had been very close. Chris’s grades have been going downhill, and Chris’s romantic relationship also seems to be coming apart at the seams. Still, you are unprepared when Chris says very deliberately,

“I just can’t take it anymore. Life is just too painful. I don’t feel like I want to live anymore. I’ve decided that the only thing I can do is to kill myself.”

When somebody discloses that he or she is contemplating suicide, you may feel bewildered and frightened, as if a great burden has been placed on your shoulders. It has been. If someone confides suicidal thoughts to you, your goal should be to persuade him or her to see a professional, or to get the advice of a professional yourself as soon as you can.