In the book 'The secret' written by Rhonda Byrne, a small section talks about suicide. They asked a few simple questions to a person with suicidal tendency. This person had constant thoughts about attempting suicide. Upon which they asked him, "If I provide you with amenities to make an attempt at suicide right now, will you do it? The person hesitated. They asked him again, "What is stopping you?" The person gave a few reasons concerning his family and work and what they'll go through if something were to happen to him. On this they simply said, now all you have to do is live for those!

According to an article published by Forbes India in February 2021, India has the second highest rate of suicidal deaths with Russia being the first. 17 among 100000 people die due to suicide in India. 44000 people die each year due to suicide. This number might seem less to some. But this number concerns the mortality rate only. Not all attempts are successful. The attempt to death ratio is 25:1.Thus the number of attempts is a lot more than this. Again each person who has suicidal ideations does not take an attempt at it. So now imagine how many people might battle with these thought each and every day? This brings the gravity of the entire situation and the importance of preventing it in front of us. 

What happens when someone reaches to the decision of attempting suicide? Let's get into the technicalities of it. The causes of suicide can be understood in the form of a chain. This chain begins with stress due to some unfortunate events or situations. Then it changes the form into consistent negative feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness, etc. The person on ruminating over these thoughts due to poor coping mechanism. They do not understand the ways in which these thoughts could be addressed and minimized. With time the severity of these thoughts and feelings increases considerably. Eventually the feeling of being completely alone and isolated creeps into the picture. If these irrational thoughts are not interrupted or challenged in time, they reach a point when the person has minimum control over them. Slowly these thoughts overpower almost all the major aspects and domains of one's life. Finally at this point, the person gets suicidal thoughts. 
All of this sounds overly practical and technical. It seems like an automatic process which cannot be controlled. But in reality we, as empathetic humans, can interfere in each part of this chain and try to stop it from worsening. It is important to know what all you can do if someone close to you seems to be suicidal. Here are a few ways:
Firstly, pay close attention to what they say. 
Sadie Penn, in her Tedx youth talk at Lancaster noted that almost 81% of people who attempt suicide indirectly tell someone close to them about the time, place and way in which they are thinking of doing it. So it becomes essential to know about these details beforehand to avail some amount of time in hand for getting help and preventing it from happening. 
Secondly, if you think that someone close to you is suicidal, talk about it. 
One of the major reasons why these thoughts take control of a person's mind is the stigma surrounding suicide. The necessity of breaking the stigma around this can be understood well when someone going through it speaks aloud about the same. The perception of anyone facing such thoughts becomes rigid and all the irrational thoughts appear to be real. There is a concept known as tunnel vision. In this people are able to see or think about only one aspect and tend to turn a blind eye towards all the others. It is not like they do not know about them but talking to others can help them see it clearly again. If a person going through the same can find a safe and open, non-judgemental space to talk about his or her feelings, these irrational thoughts can be changed. 
You might think that the answer to this problem is therapy. It is absolutely correct. But before approaching a therapist, any person should feel comfortable to talk about such issues with people in is primary circle which involves parents close relatives and friends. This brings us to the last step.
Create a safe space.
Be there, listen, accept and assure. This mantra can help you to remain open minded and be non judgemental. The first step is to be there. This talks about approaching your close ones and asking them how they are. Simple? The next step is to listen. You've posed a question and now it is their turn to answer. This involves listening carefully, trying to feel what they must be going through and understanding their point of view clearly. Then we come to acceptance. It may happen that the point of view of others might not match yours. But keeping in mind that there might be different opinions and all of them might have valid backgrounds and bases, we need to accept them. 
When someone shares something that troubles them with us, we tend to say things like 'so what, it happens to everyone, or it is not that serious, you need to be strong, such things should not matter to you.' This might happen unconsciously as well. But when we say something in this manner, we tend to neglect or belittle their feelings. On contrary, we need to validate their feelings and emotions. This in simple terms is acceptance. 
The last point is assurance. It can be said that this is what completes the safe space that you are trying to form. People need validation. This can be with respect to their thoughts, actions, beliefs and feelings. To complete this space you need to assure them that what they think and feel is valid and that you will be available to look out for them whenever possible. 

The stigma around suicide forces people to keep these thoughts a secret. Talking about it makes it real and then handling reality becomes possible. It is like starting a conversation. One person comes up with a topic and others in the group pitch in their thoughts. Same thing happens here. One person shares his or her thoughts regarding suicide. It might encourage someone else to talk about it as they get an assurance that they are not alone or will not be judged. Doing this can help us save someone's life. 

Lastly, I'd like to point out that it is necessary to ask for help. It is okay to not be okay. There are different measures that could be taken to change the recurring thought or behaviour patterns. If talking to close ones feels overwhelming, there are various other services and help lines that could be used. Some situations can also be brought into control. As Mark Henrick said in his talk, "Suicide is not a criminal concern. It is a public health concern." We have help for that. Hence, just ask!