Trusting Your "Spidey Senses"

We all have “spidey senses” – it’s our intuition or gut instinct that’s alerted when we have a bad feeling about something or sense imminent danger. It wasn’t until my Mental Health First Aid and Suicide Prevention Trainings that I learned how to use these “spidey senses” to assist someone who’s struggling with a mental health challenge; someone who may be in imminent danger.

Last year, I started my clinical social work practicum and suddenly found myself in situations where I had to ask “the question.” This felt overwhelming – I worried that asking someone whether they have had thoughts of suicide would be triggering or increase the likelihood of them acting on their thoughts. But the Question-Persuade-Refer (QPR) Suicide Prevention Training begins by immediately dispelling that myth. We learn in QPR that asking someone about their suicide intent can offer relief, shedding light on something they may have been hiding or too afraid to seek help for. Opening up this conversation can lower the person’s anxiety and ultimately lower their risk of a suicide attempt.

Throughout the past year I have been thinking about what my QPR instructor said about the “spidey senses” that go off when we recognize the warning signs of suicide (i.e. verbal indicators, behavioral signs, and situational signs). When my “spidey senses” go off, I take a moment to review the notes from my QPR class. I review the warning signs and how to ease into the conversation (i.e. “I’m worried about you”; “Have you been unhappy lately?”). I review the different ways of directly asking someone if they are having thoughts of suicide and I give myself a little pep talk – reminding myself that asking the question could save a life. I also remind myself that asking the question is just the first step in supporting someone, and that there are other resources and mental health professionals to lean on in the “persuade” and “refer” steps of the journey.

I am learning that it doesn’t get easier, no matter how many times you have been in this situation; it’s always going to be difficult to ask that question. But getting certified in QPR has made me braver and more empowered to ask – by equipping me with information and a step-by-step guide of how to start the conversation. It has given me the tools to act on my “spidey senses.”

QPR is not just for people working in helping professions – it is for anybody and everybody. So if you have ever been worried about someone – be it a friend, family member, student, or client – and didn’t know what to do, consider signing up for a training with Cypress. You never know when you may be in a situation where your “spidey senses” are going off, and I guarantee that with the QPR toolkit under your belt, you will be more likely to trust them and act on them. Trusting your “spidey senses” allows you to ask the question that could save a life. Sign up for a QPR training today: cypressresilience.org/upcoming