What is the appropriate response when somebody threatens suicide on these boards?

Jo0o·3/13/2018, 11:56:06 PM·2 votes·2,931 views

I generally remain silent and report as "offensive" in the hopes that the mods will sort out whether actual action needs to be taken. It's always a weird thing for me to do. I'm in no way qualified to talk somebody through depression or suicidal tendencies, but have nevertheless had the responsibility thrust upon me several times IRL in recent years, so I always feel some instinct to try to solve the problem when I see it on the boards, as pointless as that may sound.

There's a post threatening suicide currently in General Discussion, by the way.

6 Comments

ModPeriscope3/14/2018, 6:27:31 AM3 votes

If you think it's serious enough, I'd go to the moderation discord and let a moderator know. Reporting also works, but that's the fastest way to get someone with authority to look at it.

Boltonator3/14/2018, 12:04:13 AM1 votes

NEVER take these threats lightly. Can you link the thread?

o brigid o3/14/2018, 4:30:04 PM1 votes

When someone expresses suicidal thoughts or feelings, the most compassionate response you can have is to validate their feelings. That can be as simple as saying "I care about you" or "I'm sorry you're in so much pain."

Don't, however, try to talk them out of their feelings or insist you understand their suffering. Their emotions may not seem logical or reflect how you think they should experience pain, but that doesn't matter to a suicidal person.

-- taken from mashable.com but still very valid

As someone who has been suicidal in the past, I think whenever we post these feelings online it is because we are looking for any compassion, connection, hope we can find in online strangers that we might be lacking or closed off from receiving irl. Whenever I see posts like that, I absolutely try to show support and will often privately alert an authority/moderation.

I'm not religious, but fucking bless you to heaven and back for being concerned enough to ask about it. I was having a rough morning and just seeing this lifted my spirits.

Galacius3/14/2018, 10:01:44 PM1 votes

{quoted}

I generally remain silent and report as "offensive" in the hopes that the mods will sort out whether actual action needs to be taken. It's always a weird thing for me to do. I'm in no way qualified to talk somebody through depression or suicidal tendencies, but have nevertheless had the responsibility thrust upon me several times IRL in recent years, so I always feel some instinct to try to solve the problem when I see it on the boards, as pointless as that may sound.

There's a post threatening suicide currently in General Discussion, by the way.

The appropriate response is to report it or come to the Boards Moderation Discord, head into "Boards Report Room," and ping @moderator. We have moderators, like myself, that are capable of handling threads like those or pushing those threads to our superiors (Heralds). I would personally recommend that you don't see us taking care of it quicker to come to the discord. Threats like suicide are serious and we should act quickly.