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From: adolph@ssc-vax.UUCP (Mark Adolph)
Newsgroups: net.suicide
Subject: Re: from net.singles
Message-ID: <435@ssc-vax.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 18-Feb-85 21:38:08 EST
Article-I.D.: ssc-vax.435
Posted: Mon Feb 18 21:38:08 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 22-Feb-85 08:13:24 EST
References: <228@ttidcc.UUCP>
Organization: Boeing Aerospace Co., Seattle, WA
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> A few years back, the director of a suicide-prevention center once gave
> explicit instructions to his staff that they were *not* to discuss
> suicide with callers or clients.  A potential suicide was encouraged to
> discuss his/her feelings and problems, but if an attempt was made to
> discuss suicide, the center staff was to tell them to change the subject
> or the conversation was over.  After two warnings the call or session
> was terminated, with the understanding that it could resume only if a
> promise was made not to discuss suicide.

This also goes against everything that I was taught in my five years as a
peer counselor at Stanford.  We were told that these things should be
brought out in the open and discussed, and that any mention of suicide 
should be taken SERIOUSLY.  Seems to me that if I were suicidal and that
last spark of self-preservation made me call this place, and if I was
told that my suicidal feelings were a game, I would hang up and shoot 
myself just to spite them ("See, nobody cares.").

I'd also like to here more about this.  Even if it worked, it seems
incredibly risky.

					-- Mark A.
					...uw-beaver!ssc-vax!adolph