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Suicidal thoughts often emerge when you feel unable to overcome the profound pain you are experiencing. The anguish can become so overwhelming that suicide may seem like the only way to find relief and escape the troubling thoughts and situations haunting you. However, there are numerous steps you can take to alleviate your suffering without ending your life, ensuring you don’t miss out on future joy, love, and excitement. Take immediate action to ensure your safety, explore the reasons behind your suicidal thoughts, and develop a plan to overcome them whenever they arise. This approach can help you end your pain without resorting to ending your life.
If you are contemplating suicide and need immediate assistance, call 18001567, the Youth Counseling Hotline of the Vietnam Psychological Crisis Prevention Center.
Steps
Seeking Help
Seek help from a mental health professional. Individuals contemplating suicide often suffer from serious mental health conditions, such as depression, and can benefit from professional support.
- If your suicidal thoughts stem from a specific event, such as the grief of a breakup, job loss, or becoming disabled, remember that situational depression can improve with treatment.
Speak with a religious leader. If you follow a religion and have access to a leader within your faith, consider talking to them. Many people prefer discussing their struggles with someone who shares their beliefs rather than a professional trained solely in psychology. Religious leaders are often trained to assist individuals in crisis, including those feeling hopeless or suicidal.
- If this aligns with your beliefs, a religious leader can help ease your pain by offering a more objective perspective and providing you with meaningful insights to reflect upon.
Seek out a support group. There are numerous support groups, both online and in your community, where you can find comfort by talking to others who have experienced suicidal thoughts or attempted suicide.
- To find a support group, consult your mental health professional for information on meeting times, or search for local groups through online resources.
Reach out to someone who understands your situation. It’s important to remember that, regardless of the reason, you are not alone in facing this struggle. Try to find someone who is willing to be there for you, understands your feelings, and wants to help. If you’re unsure where to start, consider contacting the following services:
- Call 18001567, the Youth Counseling Hotline of the Vietnam Psychological Crisis Prevention Center.
- If you are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender*, call +84 8 3940 5140 The Organization for the Protection and Promotion of LGBT Rights in Vietnam.
- If you are a veteran, you can also call 18001567.
- If you are a teenager, call 18001567, the Hotline for Children and Teenagers.
- Send an anonymous email to Mai Huong Daytime Psychiatric Hospital.
- Contact a psychologist. Look up psychologists in your area through a phone directory or use the website http://danhba.bacsi.com.
Call a friend. Let them know how you’re feeling and that you need their support. You can ask them to remind you of your positive qualities and strengths or talk about happy memories you’ve shared.
- Choose a friend you can trust. Sharing your struggles with someone who isn’t genuine may worsen the situation, as they may not be there for you when you need them most.
- Avoid being alone. Ensure that a friend or family member keeps an eye on you. If no one is available, consider going to the emergency room to ensure you’re not alone. If you’re part of a support group, you can rely on other members who truly understand what you’re going through and can offer meaningful help.
Develop a Coping Plan
Remove tools you could use to harm yourself. If you’re contemplating suicide, make it harder to act on those thoughts by eliminating any items you might use to end your life.
- These could include firearms, knives, ropes, or medications.
- If you can’t dispose of medications because you need them, give them to a trusted family member or friend who will only provide them to you as prescribed by your doctor.
Create a list of things you love. Write down everything that brings you joy or reminds you of happiness and love. This could include family members, pets, favorite sports, beloved movies, childhood foods, places that feel like home, or even the stars, moon, or sun. If it brings you even a little joy, include it.
- Add qualities you admire about yourself. Write about your unique traits, whether physical, emotional, or personal. Reflect on your achievements and moments when you felt proud of yourself.
- Don’t forget future aspirations. Write about places you hope to live, projects you want to create, careers you’d like to try, children you dream of having, or a partner you hope to find.
Develop a list of helpful distractions. What has helped you resist suicidal thoughts in the past? Write it down. Any distraction is valuable if it keeps you from harming yourself. Having a list to refer to when your mind is overwhelmed with negativity can be incredibly helpful. Here are some ideas:
- Call a friend to talk.
- Eat a healthy meal.
- Go for a walk or exercise.
- Draw, write, or read a book.
Compile a list of people you can call. Write down the names and phone numbers of at least five people, in case someone isn’t available when you reach out. Include friends, family, and acquaintances who are likely to answer and support you.
- Add the names of trusted counselors, psychiatrists, and support group members.
- Include hotline numbers you feel comfortable calling.
Create a safety plan. A safety plan is something you revisit and follow whenever suicidal thoughts arise. It’s a personal list of reasons and strategies to help you resist acting on those thoughts. When suicidal thoughts occur, it can be hard to redirect your focus. But with a plan in place, all you need to do is pull it out and follow the steps. Work through each item until you feel safe. Here’s an example of a safety plan:
- 1. Review your List of Things You Love. Remind yourself of what has kept you going so far.
- 2. Review your List of Distractions. Distract yourself with any activity that helps.
- 3. Review your List of People to Call. Call the first person on your list. Keep calling until you reach someone who can talk as long as you need.
- 4. Delay your plan and secure your home. Promise yourself to wait at least 48 hours. During this time, remove medications, sharp objects, and other dangerous items.
- 5. Ask someone to stay with you. If no one is available, call your therapist or a crisis hotline.
- 6. Go to a safe place, such as a parent’s home, a friend’s house, or a community center.
- 7. Go to the emergency room.
- 8. Call Emergency Services.
Consider Exploring Alternative Solutions
Remind yourself that your current feelings are temporary. When you are seriously contemplating ending your life, it can be challenging to think of other ways to address the issues you're facing. A way to step back and consider alternatives to suicide is to remind yourself that you won't always feel this way, and these thoughts will pass.
- Emotions often come and go quickly, much like feelings of hunger, sadness, fatigue, or anger. Your suicidal thoughts will also fade. If you're struggling to think of alternatives because you simply want to end your life, keep this in mind!
Delay your plans. Do your best to step back and postpone any plans you've made for at least 48 hours. Whatever your plans are, put them on hold for a short period. Tell yourself that you've come this far and can give yourself two more days to think things through. Two days isn't too long in the grand scheme of things.
- During those two days, you'll have time to reflect, rest, and find ways to convince yourself that there are other methods to alleviate the pain you're feeling.
Think of other ways to solve your problem. Consider any resources that could help you achieve this. Do you need to ask for assistance from others? Proceed with your alternative plan. For example, if you're considering suicide because of financial struggles, you could ask friends or family for financial support. Stick to your plan as needed. If the first alternative method doesn't work, try another approach.
- Remember, you won't achieve everything overnight. It may take some time to reach your goals.
- If you're severely depressed, this goal-oriented approach might not be the best option, as those with severe depression often ruminate and have weakened problem-solving abilities.
Advice
- Reflect deeply. Suicide is a permanent solution to temporary problems. Life offers endless possibilities for change and improvement, so harming yourself is never the answer.
- Always adhere to your doctor's instructions when taking prescribed medications. Never discontinue medication without consulting your healthcare provider first.
- Make it a priority to attend all therapy sessions. If necessary, ask someone you trust to accompany you weekly to ensure accountability and support.
- For those in the U.S., explore the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention's website to find online or in-person support groups tailored to your needs, such as groups specifically for teenagers.
- If you reside in the UK, visit the NHS website or other country-specific platforms to discover available resources.
- In areas lacking local suicide or depression support groups, consult your therapist or local hospital to learn about available options or how to connect with relevant groups. Additionally, consider online therapy platforms offering video consultations.
