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| What can i say to him that will help him? Or is this a lost cause and i'll just have to talk to him every day as he slowly dies? |
A person who is suicidal often time believes that living is not worth the pain and hassle they are facing currently.
So, one way you can help him is to conversate with him and try to find something that he wants to do so much, something that'd excite him, give him a reason to live, something to look forward to so his mind is off his pain and looking toward that. Something that he feels would give him a strong enough reason to overcome this temporary pain - something that would make it worth it for him to overcome his current pain. For example - a hobby, a dream, a trip, going to school, etc. I suggest that none of it includes you - that is you can't make yourself the reason this guy would want to live (as that's dangerous), but through a conversation maybe you can draw out something he's always been wanting to do and could start doing, etc. and then focus on it. As he focuses on it, he can get more excited about living, and having a stronger reason to live then to die.
That's what I heard some people who counsel suicidal people - they try through their conversation to find something that this person can look forward to and get excited about so that their will to live becomes stronger then their will to die.
This guy who is talking to you about his wishing to die - isn't 100% fully committed to dying yet. If he was he'd kill himself right away without telling anyone. However, he may be 90% ready to die, a small part of him still wants to live , and that part is driving him to talk to people such as you before he kills himself to hope that something can come up that will stop him from doing this.
And remember, if he does kill himself, you're not to blame, you had no responsibility for it. He is 100% responsible for his life, not you, ok? All you can do is perhaps help shift his focus in some gentle way, and if works, wonderful, you've saved a life. But if not, it's not your fault at all.
BTW, kudos to you for ignoring some of the harsh ill-advise suggestions some people on this thread have suggested.