“It was not the doctors or the medications that helped me after my second

attempt at suicide. It was finding out how many people cared about me. I could

not believe how many people came to see me. They made me promise that

when I got depressed again, I would call one of them. These people who came

to see me saved my life.”

-- Commander who struggled with serious bouts of depression. He

attempted to end his life twice but after the second attempt went on
to become involved in depression awareness training for the military
in the United States.

DEPRESSION

AWARENESS / SUICIDE

PREVENTION

Most people feel sad, blue, and weepy at different

times in life. It is only human. It is important to know

what to do when sadness lingers, and we begin to feel

less hopeful about our future.

Research tells us that depression -- feelings of sadness and hopelessness that don’t

go away, can lead to death by suicide. Research also shows that feeling cared about

and connected to at least one person is the best defense in fighting depression and

potential death by suicide.

It is important to know that survivors of failed suicide attempts tell us they did not

want to die, they simply did not know how to end the extreme pain they were

experiencing.

Sharing fears and feelings with someone else is the first step in getting relief from

feelings of sadness and hopelessness. Remember there is always a solution to

every problem, it is just difficult to see options and choices when emotions cloud

our ability to think clearly.

So, when an upset person talks with someone who is not upset—solutions to

problems are easier to see. Remembering the word HELP™ can remind us of what
to do when we become aware that someone may need extra support.

H E L P
HELP EMPATHIZE LISTEN PROVIDE

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 We HELP when we notice unusual behavior and become
involved. Becoming involved might include taking time to
explore potential issues someone is facing. And, if our
concerns become great, we involve others who have

HELP
additional ways of helping, that go beyond our normal skill
set. The examples below involve situations where peers
looked back and wished they had become involved and
taken action when they heard and noticed unusual
behaviors. Remember to use LISTEN™

UNUSUAL BEHAVIORS

L Listen to the survivor

WHAT PEOPLE DO

A crew member routinely played his

ukulele (small guitar) during his time
I
off. Friends noticed when he was no
Identify the feeling longer playing his ukulele—but no one
said anything. He was later found dead
by his own hand. Looking back his
friends regretted not finding out what
was going on that he no longer played
his instrument—they might have been
S Synthesize the
meaning
able to learn what was wrong and
help him with his problems.
Crew members noticed that one of
their teammates was getting drunk
every evening. He always drank, but
T Talk to the feeling lately, he was intoxicated every night.
They also knew he was having
problems with his fiancé--which led to
a break-up. When they learned that he
had taken his life they realized that his

E Express your excessive drinking along with

response to their relationship problems should have
caused them concern. His suicide note
confirmed that the relationship
problem had caused him to become
hopeless about his future. They
N Needs
regretted drinking with him nightly
instead of trying to help him.

WHAT PEOPLE SAY

A crew member read to his peers a sampling of writings from his journal. His
statements were dark and showed extreme despair. He was later found dead in
his room. Friends later looked back and realized that his writings were a sign
that he was very depressed and needed help.
A woman wrote extensively on social media that the man she loved did not
return her love. She expressed her heartbreak, openly. Within a few weeks, she
ended her life in his stateroom.

© Copyright, Higher Resources, Inc./Aviem International, Inc.

We HELP when we Empathize When someone is feeling
with what someone who is hopeless and considering
going through during a difficult suicide, it helps to have a T
time, and help them consider caring person listen to
H
IN
G
different ways to solve their them without judgment of C
A
S
W
problems. People who have their inner thoughts and
N
SA
E

suffered from depression and Y

considered suicide reported feelings.
feeling relief when someone
validated their feelings and “I care about you”
they realized they were not
alone. “I am here for you 24/7”
“Is there someone I can call for you?”
If we suspect that someone is
suicidal, we should not make “Will you go with me to speak with someone
light of their depression by else who might help us (counselor, doctor,
cracking jokes. Take all etc.)?”
statements seriously and don’t
hesitate to involve others who Don’t hesitate to remind the person who else in
their life cares about them.
may help you assist the person
you are concerned about.

It is okay to ask someone EAP

directly if they are thinking of
hurting themselves or ending
their life. Shoreside - US: 1 800 681 6967
Shoreside - UK: 0800 015 5630
Shipboard: Dial #25 for free from any

8
ship phone, Use this generic PIN:
DIMENSIONS 1911046168, Enter +1 (416) 355 5469; *Dial
#28 on Celebrity Constellation, Infinity,
OF WELLBEING
Millennium, and Summit
More information on Homeport Visit www.eap-help.com for more information

We HELP when we Listen to someone with an open mind. Depressed people

often feel isolated and as if no one understands their suffering. Knowing that they
are not alone and that one other person care about them can be a huge source of
relief. Remember we do not need to have the solution or solve someone’s
problems—but we can help them consider different solutions and when we
provide them with a listening ear, they often are able to think of solutions on their
own.
We HELP when we Provide ideas of options, choices, and resources that are
available to help with potential solutions. We should never hesitate to remind
someone of where they can get medical and/or counseling support when we
realize that the solutions are not as obvious and need professional input and
expertise. If we are concerned that the person will not obtain additional support,
we must take action—even if we are the one who accesses the resources, or we
accompany them to seek support.
TAKING ACTION

© Copyright, Higher Resources, Inc./Aviem International, Inc.

 THINGS
PEOPLE SAY

I want to die
I don’t want to live anymore
Everyone will be better off if I am no longer in the picture
If “something happens”, I will kill myself. Examples of “something” include:
Unwanted pregnancy Job termination
Terminal diagnosis Potential death of loved one
Arrest for an alleged crime Another DWI (DUI)
Someone is being bullied Someone has been a victim of
sexual assault

THINGS
PEOPLE DO
Giving all personal belongings away

Isolating from others—not showing up for meals, etc.

Things you may learn about indirectly which are signs of

major concern:
Someone who is depressed has experienced insomnia
for an extended period of time

There are ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

misunderstandings often
STCAF & SHTYM

called myths about suicide Life saving information is only a click away
that helpers should know
about.
If I bring up suicide, I will
plant the idea in someone’s
Visit our CareTeam site on HomePort
mind.
Research shows that either
someone is thinking about
suicide or they are not. You
cannot plant the idea in
someone’s mind. www.fafonline.org

People who talk about

suicide do not carry it out.
There are multiple
examples where someone
completed suicide after
one or more attempts.
www.higherresources.com

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