Ask Julie: Is My Friend Really Suicidal or Just Seeking Attention?

[dropcap]Q:[/dropcap] I have a friend with severe problems. She's 16 and is at a distance from me. She has claimed to have tried suicide many times, sometimes even talking about committing suicide while I was talking to her. A friend posed the possibility that the suicide attempts were fake, and that she was calling for attention. One, I want to know if it is possible for her to actually want to commit suicide, while announcing it to us. I ask this because a friend of mine insists that suicide is only committed by people who don't even mention it, or who mention it once and attempt it. Two, if she is attention calling, how can I help her? She is a great friend of mine, and I want to help. She was/is bullied, she's bisexual, and that already got people to bash on her.  She was beaten by her father and occasionally still is. She cuts herself and doesn't eat for large amounts of time because she thinks she's fat. She is ignored by her mother.  I wonder if it's also possible that she exaggerated her description of the problems in order to call for attention.

[dropcap]A: [/dropcap]Your friend is lucky to have a concerned friend like you. While you can help, it's important for you to remember that you can’t save her from her problems. It sounds like your friend could benefit from intensive therapy. Are her parents or extended family members a resource for her to get help? Please encourage her to get a mental health evaluation as soon as possible. You nor I can determine whether she is indeed suicidal, especially in this forum, but a licensed mental health professional can. Watch the video for the complete answer.Take good care of yourself!Julie Hanks, LCSW