"Since I've been retired, I think about killing myself from time to time, but there is part of me that is stronger than the part of me that thinks about dying." ( a retired man in his late 50s)
If you were his psychotherapist what would you say?
A: You have got a lot of good things to live for. You should focus on that.
B: You sound very sad. Tell me more about what brings these feelings on?
C: Are you taking the antidepressants which your doctor prescribed?
D: If you died who would take care of your dog?
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This is article #16 in a series on Are You Smarter Than A Behavioral Health Professional?
The correct answer is B: You sound very sad. Tell me more about what brings these feelings on?
ReplyDeleteRationale: Cheering people up rarely is helpful and the therapist would be just one more person in a long line who are probably trying to do this already to no avail. Antidepressants might be more helpful but are not a magic cure. The circumstances influencing the depressed mood need to be further assessed. How survivors might feel about the loss of a person is rarely a consideration for people severely depressed although it may have some value. The best response is an empathic one which opens up the situation for further exploration. Once that has been done it will be clearer how best to proceed.
From an epidemiological perspective older males are at higher risk of suicide than any other segment of the population.