When we talk about suicidal prevention, often the discussion turns to the “C” word. Why do the media and the public continue to use the word “Commit” when discussing suicide? This term is misused when people think about or want to kill themselves. And some in the behavioral health field may not understand the importance of this word and its impact on the client, their practitioner, and the behavioral health organization.
According to an article from the International Risk Management Institute, terms related to suicide evoke powerful images and messages. Those around the person contemplating suicide have their personal opinions about it, such as “they’re selfish” or “it’s their choice,” which complicate the matter. Plus, using terms like “commit” make the client seem like a criminal, similar to other “commit” phrases (committing murder, burglary, arson, etc.). The article points out alternative terms that practitioners and family members can use below:
Say this Instead of this
Died of suicide Committed suicide
Suicide death Successful attempt
Suicide attempt Unsuccessful attempt
Person living with suicidal thoughts or behavior Suicide ideator or attempter
Suicide Completed suicide
(Describe the behavior) Manipulative, cry for help, or suicidal gesture
Working with Dealing with suicidal crisis
If we want to reduce to improve suicide prevention in this country, there must be a different way to discuss this to talk about it. Education programs in school and with clients, discussing suicide with parents and families, and understanding the resources available are helpful to everyone. As posed in an article by the Centre for Suicide Prevention, “Like so much of the language we use, there are underlying, negative connotations to the phrases (we use).”
Other experts have examined the language as well. In an article on Speaking of Suicide, Dr. Stacey Freedenthal commented, “Some suicide prevention advocates use the term “completed suicide” because they view it as an acceptable alternative to “committed suicide.” Not all suicide prevention advocates agree, of course. The State of Maine’s Suicide Prevention Program, for example, states on its website, “Both terms (committed and completed) perpetuate the stigma associated with suicide and are strongly discouraged.”
When working with clients who have suicidal thoughts, it is vital to use a neutral form of language. Asking, “Have you had thoughts about killing yourself?” “Do you want to end your life?” and other strategies have the same impact of discussing the seriousness of their situation but with less stigma for the client. Suicide prevention is not only about treatment, it is also about the language.
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Dan Thorne has unique perspectives on the field of mental health. As a clinician, he has had over 40 years of experience working with clients in the Southern California area. After obtaining his Bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Irvine, he worked with children in the Orange County Juvenile Hall. Here he honed his earliest techniques on at-risk children. After that, he obtained his Master’s degree in Counseling from California State University, Fullerton.
In the 1990’s, Dan turned his attention to the clinical and administrative side of behavioral health organizations. For three years, he was the Assistant Administrator of Starting Point, a chemical dependency facility in Costa Mesa, CA. In 2001, he took an opportunity to be the Director of Harbor View Community Services Center in Long Beach. When he arrived, the Center had only 80 clients and 13 staff. When he left, there were over 400 clients and 75 staff. Dan created several programs through their contract with the Los Angeles County Departments of Mental Health and Child and Family Services. Under his guidance, Harbor View became one of the leading providers of children’s services in Los Angeles County.
While improving the results of the client’s parents at the Center, Dan reflected on his experiences as a parent. His children themselves had special needs such as mental and intellectual challenges, and Dan knew the toll it takes on the parent. In order to help the child, the parent has to be healthy. From this concept, he created his parenting program. After years of refining it, teaching it to his staff at the Center, and then taking the results and comments from these efforts, he became the developer of the current PRAXES program. It is a culmination of Dan’s personal trials and tribulations as a parent along with empirical results and research of over 40 parenting programs.
Our vision at PRAXES is to advance the strength of parents and caregivers of children with special needs (mental health, intellectual, or physical) through education, support, and empowerment. Thus, they can live healthy and functional lives while caring for the child.
Apogee is a clinical decision software designed to help behavioral health practitioners with their treatment and patient engagement. It provides evidence-based and research-based components. Not only do they consist of elements from such practices as Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Seeking Safety, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Functional Behavior Analysis, but also the Intensive Models for Parents, Youth, and Children.
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