Welcome back to The Coal Face! This month, we’re focusing on suicide awareness in recognition of Suicide Awareness Month. In this post, I’ll walk you through a practical framework for supporting someone you fear may be considering suicide. The framework is built on three principles: recognition, assist, and monitor.

Starting with Mindset

Before we talk about suicide awareness, let’s focus on you. Supporting someone in crisis takes courage, empathy, and patience. The fact that you’re reading this shows you already care and have the qualities needed—communication skills, calmness, and perseverance. These are the foundations for meaningful conversations that can save lives.

Recognition: Understanding the Signs

Recognition means noticing the warning signs and understanding the person’s experience. I use the “rule of threes” to explain this:

Behaviours can signal distress, especially when they become dysfunctional. Look for changes in frequency, intensity, and duration—for example, excessive drinking, insomnia, or withdrawal. Trauma often drives these behaviours, as the brain shifts into survival mode rather than logical thinking.

Assist: How to Help

When you engage with someone at risk, your goals are simple but powerful:

The best way to do this is by listening with warmth, empathy, and honesty, once again, the “Rule of threes”. You don’t need to be a psychologist—you just need to care.

Practical ways to assist include:

Silence should never be someone’s legacy. Your presence and words can break that silence.

Monitor: Staying the Course

Monitoring is the longest stage and may last weeks, months, or even years. It often means cycling back to recognition if warning signs return.

Keep an eye out for:

Consistent support, even in small ways, can make a life-changing difference.

Final Thoughts

I hope this framework has given you a new perspective on suicide awareness and equipped you with practical tools to support others. Recognise, assist, and monitor—three steps that can help save lives.

Until next time, take care—and remember, it’s yippee-ki-yay!