Coping with Suicidal Thoughts
If you are thinking about suicide, you are not alone. Many people have thoughts about suicide, for a number of different reasons. Thoughts of suicide can be scary, and you probably feel hurt, confused, overwhelmed and hopeless about your future. You may also feel sadness, grief, anger, shame, guilt or emptiness, and that nothing can be done to change your situation.
You don’t have to face this situation alone, help is available. Here are some ideas that you can use when you are thinking about suicide:
Connect with others when you are worried that you may do something to hurt yourself. Being around someone you trust is important when you have these feelings. If you live alone, ask a friend or family member to come and stay with you. If you don’t know anyone or can’t reach friends or family, call your local crisis line.
Keep your home safe by getting rid of ways to harm yourself, such as removing items such as pills or razor blades. If you are unable to do so, go somewhere where can feel safe.
Develop a safety plan to refer to when you have thoughts of hurting yourself. This will include tips on how to calm/comfort yourself, where to go to help you feel safe, your reasons for living, contact details of the people you trust and details of your local crisis line. Keep this plan somewhere you can find easily.
Problem solving can help you to break down alternative solutions to solving your problems which are making you think of suicide. You can do this by making a list of the problems in your life and then making a list of all the possible solutions you can think of to these problems. Solving smaller problems first can help to give you a sense of hope and put and end to feelings of suicide. Once you are thinking more clearly, you can then tackle other larger problems. You can create these lists alone or with someone you trust.
Think of reasons for living. When you feel low, its easy to stay focused on things that are negative and upsetting in your life. This makes it easy to think of suicide as the only option. Start thinking about the reasons you have for living, such as relationships with loved ones, pets you love, religion, goals, dreams and even responsibilities to others. Write down these reasons you have for living and remind yourself of them when you are feeling low.
Remember things that have helped you in the past. Many people have had thoughts of suicide before. If this is not your first experience of suicidal thoughts, think of the things that have helped you to feel better when you faced similar problems in the past.
Get treatment for mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, alcohol and drug problems. Get a referral from your GP to see a mental health specialist such as a psychologist or psychiatrist. If you are already receiving treatment, speak up if your treatment plan is not working.
You can also decrease chances of feeling suicidal in the future by considering the following tips:
Get professional support by asking for a referral from your doctor.
Identify high-risk triggers or situations by thinking about what could increase your feelings of despair and thoughts of suicide. Once you have identified them you can work on avoiding these situations or triggers.
Self-care can help to make you feel better, this includes eating a healthy diet, regular exercise, having good amounts of sleep and a reduction in the use of drugs and alcohol.
Structure and routine can help you feel a sense of control when your feelings seem out of control. You can create a structure by ensuring you wake up and go to sleep at a regular time, plan activities for your day and continue to go to work or school.
Do things you enjoy. You may find it hard to find things that bring you pleasure. In this case, think of things you used to do at times when you didn’t feel depressed or suicidal. Do these things even if they don’t bring you enjoyment right now.
Think of personal goals that you have for yourself or that you’ve had in the past. This can include things like reading a particular book, taking a trip, getting a pet or learning a hobby.
Suicidal thoughts can be scary and difficult to deal with, but it’s important to remember these thoughts wont last forever. Reach out to find support and use some of the steps mentioned to help you cope with current and future suicidal thoughts.