If someone close to you has attempted suicide, you may be feeling scared, confused or overwhelmed.

You’re not alone – the most recent data shows more than one in three Australians have been close to someone who has died by or attempted suicide.

Talking about suicide can be really hard. But your support can make a big difference. Here’s what you can do to support someone after a suicide attempt.

It’s OK not to have all the answers

The days and weeks after a suicide attempt are often full of intense emotion — for the person who attempted and those who care about them.

Your loved one might feel guilt, shame, anger, confusion or relief. They might also be tired, both physically and emotionally. Meanwhile, you might feel worried, shocked, helpless, or unsure about what to say.

All of these feelings are normal. There’s no “right” way to feel in this situation. But staying connected and offering care (even in small ways) is one of the most powerful things you can do.

How you can help: emotional support

It’s OK to acknowledge the suicide attempt – avoiding it can add to feelings of stigma or isolation. But you don’t need to ask for details, and if you feel overwhelmed it’s also OK to set gentle boundaries.

If you’re unsure what to say, you can be honest about that.

Just be there. Let your loved one know you’re there to listen, without pressure or judgement.

Don’t rush the conversation. If they’re not ready to talk, that’s OK. Let them set the pace.

Avoid guilt or blame. Saying things like “how could you do this to us?” can make someone feel worse. Instead, say something like: “I’m really glad you’re still here. I care about you.”

Reassure them. Tell them they’re not alone and that it’s OK to ask for help.

How you can help: practical support

Offer help with everyday tasks, such as going to appointments, making meals or tidying up.

Encourage (but don’t force) activities they enjoy – maybe a walk, a movie, or just hanging out quietly.

If you’re not sure what would help, ask. Try: “What would make today a bit easier for you?”

Try not to take it personally if they seem withdrawn or say “nothing will help”. They may be feeling overwhelmed.

Stay with them, if they’re open to it, or check in later with a text message. Small acts that don’t require a response, such as dropping off a meal, can go a long way.

You don’t have to do this alone

Supporting someone after a suicide attempt can be both physically and emotionally draining. You might find yourself constantly alert, watching for signs they might be struggling again. This “hypervigilance” is normal, but remember – you don’t have to do this alone.

One person is not a support network. While your care and support make a real difference, professional help is essential too, whether from a psychologist, doctor or counsellor.

It can also help to bring in other trusted people, such as siblings, parents, friends or teachers. Ask your loved one who they’d like to involve, and how.

Support works best when shared.

If you’re worried it might happen again

Mental health professionals often help create a safety plan after a suicide attempt.

This is a step-by-step guide for what to do if suicidal thoughts come back. It usually includes information such as warning signs, how to reduce immediate risks, and strategies to use in the moment.

A plan can also involve personal motivations to keep going and a list of resources, trusted people and emergency contacts.

Lifeline has a free app called Beyond Now, where a plan can be written, saved, and shared with trusted people.

If you want to – and your loved one is open to it – ask if you can be part of the plan or at least know what to do if they’re in crisis again.

Don’t forget: your wellbeing matters too

This situation can take a toll on your own wellbeing. You might feel anxious, tired, sad, or even guilty, and struggle with sleep or appetite.

It’s OK to not be OK.

Make time to look after yourself – eat well, rest, move your body and talk to people you trust. You don’t need to share private details about your loved one to get the support you need.

If it feels overwhelming, speak to a doctor or therapist. Your GP can help set up a mental health treatment plan, which helps you access subsidised counselling.

And if you ever have thoughts of suicide yourself, or you’re deeply worried about someone, reach out – help is available 24/7.

Recovery is different for everyone

Recovery after a suicide attempt doesn’t follow a set path – it’s different for everyone. It may involve professional support, medication, changes in routine, or time off from work or school. Rebuilding takes time and often comes with ups and downs.

Patience and compassion – for your loved one and yourself – can make all the difference.

Remember, you’re not alone, and there is help available.

Beyond Blue:

• call: 1300 22 4636
• visit their website.

Suicide Call Back Service is a free nationwide service providing 24/7 phone and online counselling to people affected by suicide:

• call: 1300 659 467
• visit their website.

13YARN is a free and confidential 24/7 national crisis support line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are feeling overwhelmed or having difficulty coping. Call 13 92 76. WellMob also has a list of culturally safe mental health organisations for First Nations people.

Milena Heinsch, Professor and Head of Social Work, University of Tasmania and Campbell Tickner, Senior Fellow in Social Work, University of Tasmania

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

What you need to know

• Whooping cough is a bacterial respiratory illness that can cause long-term symptoms and even death.
• Two types of vaccines protect against it: The DTap vaccine is given to babies and children up to 6 years old, while the Tdap vaccine is given to children 7 years and older and adults.
• If you or your child has symptoms of whooping cough, isolate them from vulnerable family members and seek treatment early to reduce the risk of serious illness.

Whooping cough, also called pertussis, is a highly contagious respiratory illness that’s particularly dangerous for babies. Cases are now at least four times as high as they were at this time last year. Fortunately, vaccines are extremely effective at preventing the disease across age groups.

Read on to learn about the symptoms and risks of whooping cough, who should get vaccinated, and what to do when symptoms appear.

What are the symptoms of whooping cough?

Early symptoms of whooping cough typically appear five to 10 days after exposure and may include a runny or stuffy nose, a low fever, and a mild cough. One to two weeks later, some people may experience extreme coughing fits that can cause shortness of breath, trouble sleeping, vomiting, fatigue, and rib fractures. These fits usually last one to six weeks, but they can last up to 10 weeks after infection. 

About one in three babies under 1 year old who contract whooping cough require hospitalization, as they may experience life-threatening pauses in breathing (called apnea), pneumonia, and other complications. Children and adults who have asthma or are immunocompromised are also more likely to develop severe symptoms.

Which vaccines protect against whooping cough, and who is eligible?

Two types of vaccines protect against whooping cough: The DTap vaccine is given to babies and children up to 6 years old, while the Tdap vaccine is given to children 7 years and older and adults. Both vaccines protect against infections from diptheria, tetanus, and pertussis.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that pregnant people receive a single dose of the Tdap vaccine between 27 and 36 weeks of pregnancy, as this lowers the risk of whooping cough in babies younger than 2 months old by 78 percent.

Multiple doses are required for the best protection. Learn more about DTaP and Tdap vaccine schedules from the CDC, and talk to your health care provider about how many doses you and your children need.

What should families do when whooping cough symptoms appear?

If you or your child has symptoms of whooping cough, isolate the infected person from vulnerable family members. It’s also important to seek treatment early to reduce the risk of serious illness. Health care providers typically prescribe antibiotics to those recovering at home.

Over-the-counter cough and cold medicine is not recommended for children under 4 years old. However, limiting smoke, dust, and chemical fumes at home and using a humidifier can reduce coughing. If you are caring for someone with whooping cough who exhibits pauses in breathing or develops gray or blue skin, call 911 immediately.

For more information, talk to your health care provider.

Can you imagine hearing yourself speak? A voice inside your head – perhaps reciting a shopping list or a phone number? What would life be like if you couldn’t?

Some people, including me, cannot have imagined visual experiences. We cannot close our eyes and conjure an experience of seeing a loved one’s face, or imagine our lounge room layout – to consider if a new piece of furniture might fit in it. This is called “aphantasia”, from a Greek phrase where the “a” means without, and “phantasia” refers to an image. Colloquially, people like myself are often referred to as having a “blind mind”.

While most attention has been given to the inability to have imagined visual sensations, aphantasics can lack other imagined experiences. We might be unable to experience imagined tastes or smells. Some people cannot imagine hearing themselves speak.

A recent study has advanced our understanding of people who cannot imagine hearing their own internal monologue. Importantly, the authors have identified some tasks that such people are more likely to find challenging.

What the study found

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark and at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the United States recruited 93 volunteers. They included 46 adults who reported low levels of inner speech and 47 who reported high levels.

Both groups were given challenging tasks: judging if the names of objects they had seen would rhyme and recalling words. The group without an inner monologue performed worse. But differences disappeared when everyone could say words aloud.

Importantly, people who reported less inner speech were not worse at all tasks. They could recall similar numbers of words when the words had a different appearance to one another. This negates any suggestion that aphants (people with aphantasia) simply weren’t trying or were less capable.

A welcome validation

The study provides some welcome evidence for the lived experiences of some aphants, who are still often told their experiences are not different, but rather that they cannot describe their imagined experiences. Some people feel anxiety when they realise other people can have imagined experiences that they cannot. These feelings may be deepened when others assert they are merely confused or inarticulate.

In my own aphantasia research I have often quizzed crowds of people on their capacity to have imagined experiences.

Questions about the capacity to have imagined visual or audio sensations tend to be excitedly endorsed by a vast majority, but questions about imagined experiences of taste or smell seem to cause more confusion. Some people are adamant they can do this, including a colleague who says he can imagine what combinations of ingredients will taste like when cooked together. But other responses suggest subtypes of aphantasia may prove to be more common than we realise.

The authors of the recent study suggest the inability to imagine hearing yourself speak should be referred to as “anendophasia”, meaning without inner speech. Other authors had suggested anauralia (meaning without auditory imagery). Still other researchers have referred to all types of imagined sensation as being different types of “imagery”.

Having consistent names is important. It can help scientists “talk” to one another to compare findings. If different authors use different names, important evidence can be missed.

We have more than 5 senses

Debate continues about how many senses humans have, but some scientists reasonably argue for a number greater than 20.

In addition to the five senses of sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing, lesser known senses include thermoception (our sense of heat) and proprioception (awareness of the positions of our body parts). Thanks to proprioception, most of us can close our eyes and touch the tip of our index finger to our nose. Thanks to our vestibular sense, we typically have a good idea of which way is up and can maintain balance.

It may be tempting to give a new name to each inability to have a given type of imagined sensation. But this could lead to confusion. Another approach would be to adapt phrases that are already widely used. People who are unable to have imagined sensations commonly refer to ourselves as “aphants”. This could be adapted with a prefix, such as “audio aphant”. Time will tell which approach is adopted by most researchers.

Why we should keep investigating

Regardless of the names we use, the study of multiple types of inability to have an imagined sensation is important. These investigations could reveal the essential processes in human brains that bring about a conscious experience of an imagined sensation.

In time, this will not only lead to a better understanding of the diversity of humans, but may help uncover how human brains can create any conscious sensation. This question – how and where our conscious feelings are generated – remains one of the great mysteries of science.

Derek Arnold, Professor, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.