“It’s my life and I can do what I want with it, OK!” “There has got to be something better than this!” “Life sucks, I’m done living like this, I’m not going on, and I’m ending it now!” According to worldwide suicide statistics at one given time nearly 30 percent of people are experiencing life circumstances that make these statements very active and real to them. Suicide, it’s personal!

All of these statements are true in part or whole. What they leave out is the human element of painful everyday living for some people. They don’t tell any part of the person’s story; what has happened that has brought them to the brink of extinction, what has caused such catastrophic pain that systems are rapidly shutting down to provide all available energy to allow the person to survive. These are masks that hurting people wear and often quite visibly, that allow them to force people away, keeping the pain from consuming them immediately. Masks that keep them isolated and prevent them from being easily reached and receiving the life-saving help they need.

Have you had to deal with such a question? Are you comfortable with your answers and ability in helping this person? How about others whom you don’t even know, can you help them too? Do you want to become effective at helping people with suicidal issues? The Army has a worldclass program for doing just that – ASIST, Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, (more about that later).

We talk more about venereal disease, sex, drugs, and alcohol than we do about keeping someone from killing themselves. Suicide is called, ‘The Silent Killer’, but it is not as silent as we want to believe. The other issues above were once thought of in the same manner, but that is no longer true. We need a radical openness to deal with the issues of depression and suicidal ideation. We need more training that leads to better understanding which creates compassionate action from all ranks, organizations and areas of our military and civilian societies.

I’ve been the person above and I have numerous friends; noncommissioned officers and officers, who have been the person above too. Some of them were proactive in seeking help as a final career protective move, others were ‘found out’ by a concerned individual/family member who challenged them in a warm and concerned manner about their actions and attitudes. This in all cases led those challenged to self-identify and willingly enter care with the support of caring individuals.

In many of these interventions ASIST has been the key trained component that provided the confidence and tools for the concerned individual to move forward in asking directly and clearly about suicidal intent. As in resolving the issues that hung on the taboo subjects of a former era, educational training with caring action was the key in bringing the taboo into the light of societal care and conscience. This quickly and effectively began to neutralize stigma (s) and significant strides were made in prevention, intervention and post-vention care. The same is the case with suicidal ideations. Training in ASIST is available and will soon be expanded. This is an Army G1 program provided through the battalion chaplain and other certified trainers.

In a moral and Christo-Biblical sense, I am my brother’s keeper and when it comes to suicidal intervention, it is absolutely necessary, even imperative that I ACT AS MY BROTHER’S KEEPER.

“I’m Ready To Die So Why Not On My Terms?” My answer is always, ‘Wouldn’t you rather live on your own terms?’ The resulting dialogue has always led to persons deciding to live!