Dear Just.me~
Welcome here, coming is a good move and will help. A fair number have been in your situation, you might be able to see that just from reading their posts
I guess the first thing is you. There is a sign in aircraft that says
Put oxygen mask on self before others
Its a pretty clear message you have to be in good shape and not at risk yourself before trying to help other people
Having a brother or sister who is suicidal is an enormous load for you to bear, and actually could you at risk too. I'd strongly suggest you see your doctor and see about support for yourself, possible with counseling to help you get through.You need to pay attention to your lifestyle, with breaks, exercise, and the normal things that make it a healthy one
Importantly you need time out for relaxation and enjoyment, this is not being selfish - just practical
Now it is most important to realize that nobody keeps someone else alive by themselves. You can do your part, but if there is more family they have a similar part to play. As well your sibling's medical team play a pivotal role. It can be a team effort with care and communication between each other too
OK, you asked what you can do, well there is free a smartphone app called BeyondNow
https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/beyondnow-suicide-safety-planning
This is part of a 'safety plan' which your sibling should have. I'd suggest that when you get together with you sibling you see if they will fill it in with you. When made up it is something easy to reach for when overwhelmed or frightened. It really does help.
Filling it in together has a couple of benefits. For a start it will allow the two of you to talk about suiicide, and secondly the content of the app ends up with the knowledge of two people that know each other very well inside it, much better than just from one person
Being in hospital away from he pressures of real life can make a huge difference. I kept going down until then. Afterwards my improvement started
How you talk with your sibling is going to be mostly instinct, perhaps you can ask them what they would like you to say and do? Letting them know you are there for them and including them in your activities is probably as much as you can hope to do. It takes practice, you are not going to get everything right every time but trying counts
A short post one cannot cover a lot. Please use this place as a resource. You should also receive an email with numbers for your sibling & yourself
Croix
