I want to thank Joanne Gallardo for “The Philippian jailer and us: Apostle’s words refute Accuser’s lies” (Feb. 10). As a retired psychiatrist, I can relate to the things she says about suicide. I appreciate her use of the story in Acts 16 about the suicidal jailer. She is right that telling someone suicide is a “permanent solution to a temporary problem” is invalidating and that we don’t have to come up with an elaborate response to a person in despair. All it takes is saying, “We’re all here.” The last thing a person with suicidal thoughts needs is to have their support system become paralyzed. 

Janet Berg, Seattle