How to Prevent Suicide

If you're having thoughts or feelings of wanting to end your life, it's important to seek immediate help, preferably from a mental health professional. Regardless of the reasons behind these feelings, they can be addressed appropriately, and things can improve. By reading this article, you have already taken the first step in the healing process. The next step is to find someone to support you. - If you're in the US, you can call 911 or the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 800-SUICIDE (800-784-2433) or 800-273-TALK (800-273-8255). - In the UK, call emergency services at 999 or the Samaritans Hotline at 08457 90 90 90. - For other countries, you can visit [Emergency Numbers](https://vi.wikibooks.org/wiki/S%C6%A1_c%E1%BB%A9u/Ph%E1%BB%A5_l%E1%BB%A5c_F:_S%E1%BB%91_%C4%91i%E1%BB%87n_tho%E1%BA%A1i_kh%E1%BA%A9n_c%E1%BA%A5p) to find the appropriate number.

Seek Professional Help Immediately. If you're thinking about ending your life, you must get help from a mental health professional immediately. Several services operate 24/7, giving you many options. Even if your instinct tells you not to draw too much attention to yourself, the urge to commit suicide is very serious, and you should never hesitate to seek help. You can call anonymously. - If you're in the US, you can call 911 or 800-273-TALK (8255), the National Suicide Prevention Hotline, or go to the nearest Emergency Room. - If you're in the UK, you can reach the Samaritans at 08457 90 90 90 or PAPYRUS at 0800 068 41 41 (if you're a teenager). - You can find additional centers on the website of the International Association for Suicide Prevention.

Contact or go to the hospital. If you're using a support hotline and still want to end your life, tell them you need to go to the hospital. If you're not using a hotline, call Emergency Services or a trusted person and tell them you want to commit suicide. Ask them to take you to the hospital or go there yourself. It's better to have someone drive you as it's difficult to drive safely in such a state.

Talk to someone you trust about your thoughts immediately. While Step 1 is the first action to take when considering suicide, not everyone may feel it's appropriate. In this case, you should immediately talk to someone you trust about your suicidal thoughts. If you're alone, call a friend, a family member, a neighbor, chat with someone online, or do anything you can to avoid being alone during this time. Speak on the phone with someone or ask someone to stay with you so you're not by yourself.

Wait for help. If you're waiting for someone to arrive or waiting at the hospital, sit down and breathe slowly. Control your breathing by counting, perhaps breathing about 20 times per minute. Do whatever you can to distract yourself, knowing that help is coming soon. - Do not use alcohol or stimulants during this time, as they can negatively affect your thoughts. They may also worsen your mood rather than improve it. - If you feel like you need to hurt yourself, hold an ice cube for 1 minute without letting go (this is a technique used in prenatal classes to help women practice coping with labor pain). This discomfort may subside without causing any harm. - Listen to an album by your favorite band. Watch an interesting show on TV. Even if these things don't make you feel better, they will help distract you from your emotions while waiting for help.

Seek help from a mental health care provider. People who have suicidal thoughts often suffer from mental health issues like depression and can seek help for these conditions. The following steps may help you understand why you're thinking about suicide. If your suicidal feelings stem from a specific event, like the pain of being betrayed, losing a job, or becoming disabled, remember that this type of depression due to circumstances is treatable. - Make sure you take prescribed medication as advised by your doctor. Do not stop taking your medication without discussing it with your doctor first. - Ensure that you attend all scheduled counseling sessions. If needed, ask someone you trust to help schedule your weekly appointments, adding responsibility to attend.

Speak with a spiritual leader. Whether or not you follow a religion, if you have the opportunity to meet a spiritual leader, consider talking with them. Pastors are specifically trained to support those in crisis, including individuals who are feeling hopeless and considering suicide. They can help ease your emotional pain by offering a new perspective and some thoughtful guidance.

• Many hospitals in the U.S. provide chaplains. Similar to military chaplains, these are dedicated believers who are trained and experienced in helping individuals from various religious backgrounds, and sometimes even those without religious affiliation. This service is free and worth exploring.
• Religion may not be suitable for everyone, particularly if you identify as an atheist or have philosophical concerns or past negative experiences with religion. You might find a spiritual leader helpful only if you have been part of a religious community. While this article provides helpful resources, they may or may not be relevant to your personal situation.

Find a support group. There may be both online and in-person support groups within your community where you can connect with others who have struggled with suicidal thoughts or have attempted suicide in the past. These groups can help form a supportive social network of individuals who understand your pain and can help you through challenging moments.

• If you're in the U.S., visit the American Suicide Prevention Foundation's website to find both virtual and in-person groups. You can even locate groups designed for specific demographics, like youth groups.
• If you're in the U.K., visit the NHS website or the equivalent website for your country to explore available options for support.
• If there are no support groups in your area, consult with your doctor or a local hospital about creating a support group or finding ways to access help from others. You may also want to visit a website offering online counseling services.

Remove potential suicide tools. If you've been having suicidal thoughts, it's important to remove any objects that could help you end your life. This includes alcohol, stimulants, sharp objects, ropes, or anything else you've considered using. If you own a firearm, make sure it is immediately kept out of your reach. While this may seem drastic, removing easy access to lethal means often reduces the likelihood of following through with suicidal intentions.

Don't be alone. If you're experiencing suicidal thoughts, make sure that friends and family keep you in their presence. If you have no one to watch over you, go to the emergency room to ensure you're not isolated. If you're part of a support group, lean on fellow members for support from people who truly understand what you're going through.

Create a safety plan. If you're prone to suicidal thoughts, it's essential to create a safety plan to help protect yourself. This plan can be made alone or with the help of friends or family. It may include actions such as removing methods of suicide, spending immediate time with loved ones, calling a specific person, or waiting 48 hours before re-evaluating your decision. Giving yourself time to calm down and think rationally can be incredibly helpful in preventing harm.

Identify the causes of your suicidal thoughts. There are many reasons people may consider suicide, ranging from complicated family issues to mental health conditions. If you're suffering from mental health conditions like depression, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia, it's crucial to consult a doctor and seek treatment immediately. Medication can help you feel more balanced and in control of your mind and body; while it may not 'fix' everything, it can certainly help you move toward a happier life.

• If you're dealing with complicated family issues, consider finding a way out as soon as possible. While avoiding hasty decisions is important, if you know something will place you in a better environment, don't delay it. Consider reaching out to friends, family members, a therapist, or a doctor if you're unsure where to start.
• Clinical psychologists, counselors, and social workers are trained to help you navigate difficult life circumstances and may have already assisted others in situations similar to yours.
• These professionals will also be valuable in offering long-term care to help you maintain a healthy life once you're feeling better.

Recognize the risk factors for suicide. Understanding the factors that may increase your vulnerability to suicidal thoughts can help you pinpoint risks and understand your behaviors. Some of the most well-established suicide risk factors include:

• Life stressors
• Social isolation
• Mental health disorders, including substance abuse issues
• A family history of mental illness, suicide, or abuse
• Chronic illness or conditions associated with suicide, such as terminal illness
• Lack of family support (e.g., due to sexual orientation, family discord, mental illness in a family member, etc.)
• A previous history of suicidal thoughts or attempts
• Being bullied
• Relationship conflicts (with a spouse, partner, or family member)

Address the physical pain you're experiencing. Many people living with chronic pain often consider suicide. Sometimes physical pain can be compounded by emotional stress, and pain itself is a form of stress on the body that can affect your mental health. Effectively managing chronic pain can help improve your mental well-being.

• Stress can trigger flare-ups of autoimmune diseases like fibromyalgia, and you may not realize that your physical pain is actually a result of emotional stress.
• Migraine headaches are another source of severe pain that can lead to suicidal thoughts.
• The solution to conditions like these is to visit a pain clinic and get treatment or, if necessary, medication for ongoing management. Unfortunately, many people with chronic pain find that traditional doctors don't effectively address their issues, whereas pain clinics are specialized in treating pain in ways that general practitioners may not.
• If you're unable to bear the pain and it's driving you to suicidal thoughts, go to the emergency room. This is an urgent situation that requires medical intervention—it's not something you need to 'tough out.' You shouldn't have to endure this alone!

Avoid alcohol and stimulants. While alcohol and stimulants have been used as coping mechanisms for pain for many years, if you're struggling with suicidal thoughts, you should stay away from them completely. These substances can exacerbate depression and lead to impulsive thoughts and behaviors, which could increase the likelihood of making a permanent decision about ending your life.

Get more sleep. If you're contemplating suicide, you can't simply "sleep it off," and you might even feel insulted by this suggestion. However, sleep disorders and suicidal thoughts are indeed connected.

• Lack of sleep can impair your judgment, and just allowing your body and mind some time to recover can offer you a fresher perspective.
• While sleep won't cure depression or resolve suicidal thoughts, sleep deprivation will certainly make them worse.

Give it time. Remember that suicidal thoughts don't require immediate action. Methods of suicide that are "quick and easy" are often the most lethal, meaning once you follow through, you won’t get a second chance.

• Tell yourself that you won't take any action for the next 24 hours; after 24 hours, give yourself another 48 hours; then, tell yourself you’ll wait a week. Of course, seek help during this time. But sometimes, realizing you can hold on for a short while, day by day, can help you understand that you have the strength to overcome this difficult period.
• While giving yourself time to process, use other strategies to counteract negative thoughts about ending your life, such as reaching out to friends or healthcare professionals.
• Removing the overwhelming urge to end your life is crucial.

Understand that others have truly overcome this. Many people who have had suicidal thoughts have been able to move past their emotions and improve their outlook on life, thanks to coping techniques and various types of support offered by healthcare professionals.

• You may have suicidal thoughts, but you don’t have to act on them; there are many other ways to cope with your pain.

Understand that you can make new choices every day to create change. Be brave and change the situations that make you unhappy. Change schools. If all your friends are toxic, seek out real friends. Move out of the place you’re living. End an abusive relationship. Accept your parents' disapproval of your personal decisions or lifestyle and work through the emotional issues they cause.

• A therapist can help you manage these emotional challenges and reduce their impact on your life, or help you figure out whether you need to eliminate negative influences from your life.
• Suicide is an extreme measure, but there are still many extreme measures that can be reversed.

Don't see suicide as a form of revenge. Sometimes, the desire for suicide is tied to anger and resentment towards others. Don't direct that anger at yourself.

• Harming yourself won’t help you take revenge on anyone, and it's truly not worth it. Instead, think about all you could offer to the people you’ll meet in the future.

Continue taking care of yourself even after those feelings fade. In fact, if you’ve ever had thoughts of suicide at any point, you’re more likely to experience them again in the future. This means that even if you’re feeling better for various reasons, you always need to stay vigilant and make sure you're taking care of yourself as much as possible. Get enough rest, exercise regularly, maintain important relationships with others, and never neglect your physical and mental well-being. Living a healthy and happy life should always be your top priority.

• Even when you’re feeling better, you still need to have loved ones and friends around you and continue the therapy that helped you feel better. If you don't have anyone around, a therapist can help you build a support group so you can feel that you have people to turn to whenever you need help. However, recovery doesn’t mean ignoring the pain you once felt or may feel in the future.
• It's important to be honest with yourself about your emotions and seek other ways to cope with them instead of resorting to suicide.
• Plan what to do if suicidal thoughts return. For example, Step 1 could be calling an emergency service, Step 2 could be calling a specific person in your support network, etc. Think about what has helped you overcome suicidal thoughts in the past and include that in your plan so you’ll know what to do if you're in crisis again in the future.

• Remember that someone out there loves you, even if you may not realize it.
• Talk to someone you trust.
• Focus on small things that might stop you from ending your life. Do you have a pet to care for? Will a plant die if you don’t water it? Are you looking forward to a new movie coming out next year? No matter how small, if it gives you a reason to keep living, hold on to it.
• Remember that you have loved ones around you who are always ready to help. Don’t hesitate to talk to them!