[hackermailman]

Many people who try and kill themselves, according to friends who are staff at peer run suicide prevention clinics, do so because of a temporary insanity. They aren't depressed, they just sort of lose their mind for a few hours and if they survive the attempt have no idea how they ended up almost killing themselves. Everybody assumes these people are routinely depressed all the time but they tell you otherwise, that it was a delerious state they were in, unable to reason rationally about what they were doing.

[qume]

This is a very important point to understand to help people who are in that mode. Dont let them be alone and keep them talking. It will pass in an hour or less.