It’s a quiet afternoon, you’re driving to the ‘best looking Doper award’ along a lonely street. Something catches your eye, a scruffy looking middle-aged male climbing up an electricity pylon. He’s obviously not a workman, and you can tell he’s preparing to jump down onto hard concrete or electrocute himself.
There’s no wind or traffic noise so two-way communication is possible. It’s a fairly remote location away from major conurbations so the police or other emergency services will take at least an hour or two to get to your location, plenty of time for him to do himself in.
What’s the best thing to say to coax him down? “You’ve got so much to live for”? “Think of your family”? “Do a flip”?
First thing I’d do is alert the authorities anyway just in case I’m able to stall him long enough with bullshit for the professionals to arrive and do their jobs.
I’d try to get him/her to talk about what’s bothering them. I think it is a mistake not to directly talk about the fact that the person is suicidal. I also read an article about people who jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge, one survivor said that as soon as he jumped he realized that every problem he had was solvable except that he just jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge, I’d tell the person about that article.
Seriously, I’d probably just try to engage them in conversation, without trying to argue with their reasoning. If I could I’d likely climb up near their position. I’d try to talk them through whatever is eating them up and eventually, ask them to come down with me so we can talk somewhere more comfortable.
I partially agree…I might not want to, depending on his reasons. Your wife left you? Well, don’t do her the favor of removing yourself. It only hurts the people who love you, not her. You just got exposed as a child molester? Yeaahhh…maybe you should just go ahead and jump.
The most important thing is to get the guy to talk about what’s bothering him . . . the chronic problems in his life, as well as the specific thing that drove him to this level of despair. Don’t minimize his problems or his pain, but help him understand that there may be options he hasn’t considered. And don’t be afraid to explore the issue of suicide itself; ask him what he thinks his suicide would accomplish, and help him realize that there are other ways to accomplish this . . . ways that don’t have the same kind of finality.
I would say that please go ahead. And that real life is not the movies, this fall will not kill them. just maim them for life. maybe might convince them otherwise.
How many jumpers actually jump, if they haven’t already jumped within the first 30 seconds?
I suspect that no matter what you tell them, those who don’t jump immediately, will eventually climb down, since they never intended to really kill themselves in the first place.
