What to do when you hurt someone so badly that the person feels like committing suicide?

If you think that you may be the cause of someone binding a suicidal intent, you must first understand the ill effects your conduct has on him or her. That person could be experiencing various emotions from self-doubt, loneliness, nervousness, worries, fear and even depression.

You should ask yourself, ‘Would I like it if this happened me? How would I feel if I were in the same position as them?’ Put yourself in their shoes! So, what can you do to improve your behavior towards them? If you are reading this, then you have already recognized that you hurt someone and that you need to alter your behavior towards him or her.

What to do next:

• Apologize to them for your bad behavior and promise to never repeat it.
• Communicate with them and clear the tension which has developed between you.
• Be genuine and honest with them from now on.
• Understand that things will not change right away. It will take time, so be patient.
• Analyse the effects that your bad behavior has had on yourself and on them.
• Find the reasons that led you to behave in such a way and avoid them.

Try the scientific approach of pratikraman when you hurt someone.

There is an inner, scientific solution to the situation in which you have become the cause of someone wanting to commit suicide. Ask for forgiveness.

Asking for forgiveness using the scientific method of pratikraman will ensure that over time, your karmic accounts with that person will be settled. Furthermore, you can ask for forgiveness for any type of suffering that you have caused them, without saying a single word to them.

The other person does not have to be present. This pratikraman will reach them wherever they are. It doesn’t matter if you are in New York and they are in New Zealand. You can easily remove the pain you have caused them.

In this process, you are reversing your aggression through your thoughts, speech and actions, by changing your inner intent towards them. This is a very powerful tool for clearing up the mistakes you have made towards any living being. Whenever you experience anger, dislike, deceit, greed or abhorrence towards anyone, just perform pratikraman and you will instantly feel lighter and less consumed with the guilt of your bad conduct. 

For the process to be effective, you should keep on asking for forgiveness for 30 to 60 minutes a day. You will begin to see changes in yourself towards the other person. You will have less hatred and abhorrence towards them. They will also experience changes.  

The process for performing the three-step pratikraman is:

Recall whichever God you believe in as your witness.

• Aalochana - Heart-felt confession of one’s guilt or misdeed.
• Pratikraman - Apology coupled with remorse for any wrongdoing.
• Pratyakhyan -  A firm decision never to repeat the misdeed.

The process only takes a couple of seconds.