The Elephant In the Room
There are only a few emergency situations in the practice of psychiatry. However, these emergencies can be devastating not just to the patient, their family, and society, but everyone involved, including the care providers. And suicide is the most feared of them all.
Suicide is a hard topic to raise and discuss. Not only in the clinical situation but also in the non-clinical settings. Families, friends, in school/work and society – we are afraid to talk about suicide. But ignoring it does not make it go away. And one day, we are jarred awake with the ugly presence of this menace in our society.