Many people are able to call on strong emotional reserves—or social support—to help them through a difficult time, but not everyone can.
They may feel anxious, angry or overwhelmed. Little by little, their emotional pain takes over their thoughts, leaving little room for anything but ways to end their pain.
If you find yourself haunted by thoughts of suicide, here are suggestions:
Write down your thoughts. Keep a journal. What you write down may help you understand yourself better, at some point.
Get to a safe place. If you cannot stop the thoughts in your head, at least plant yourself in a spot that does not provide an easy way out.
Surround yourself with people. The more people, the better, but try to find people you can interact with.
Tell someone about your thoughts. There must be someone you know whom you can trust. Talk to that person. Say, I’m having thoughts of suicide and feel angry, anxious and overwhelmed. Do not expect them to solve your problems, just listen and acknowledge them. You will feel better when you realize you are not alone.
Ask for help. Call 988 or your own crisis counselor.
Develop a crisis plan. This is your own recipe for survival. Develop it with a therapist or someone you trust. When you are in the midst of a crisis, you will find it hard to remember what to do, so carry this information with you. Give copies to your therapist and others who need to know how to help you. Your plan should describe what triggers your thoughts of suicide and what diversions help to halt them.
Line up people to talk to in an emergency and keep their names and numbers nearby. Put them on the refrigerator or program them into your phone. Make it easy to get the help you need. You don’t want to have to go looking for a number when you are in a crisis.
If you don’t have a crisis plan and/or people you can talk to, go to the nearest emergency room. Don’t call. Go.
Look for a support group. There is no reason why you should go through this pain alone. In a support group, you will learn from others while you have a chance to share your own experiences with people who understand what you are going through.
Take medication. Work with your doctor or mental health professional to see if a medication will help your mood and thoughts.
Get help solving your problems. Ultimately, you have to solve your own problems, but a good therapist can speed the process along by teaching you new ways to cope. Ask someone to help you find a good therapist.
Talk back to your repetitive thoughts. Nobody needs to hear you. When part of your brain over fires, getting stuck in one thought, tell it to stop. Take control of the situation.
Exercise. It is important for you to shift your attention from your head to your body. Do something physical, like dance, walk or swim. When you move around, you interrupt thought patterns, and that might stop the repetitive thinking long enough for you to start building new, more positive thought patterns.
Eat right. A healthy, balanced diet can help you maintain your equilibrium.
Meditate. Get outside. Smell, feel and hear the beauty around you. Build your spiritual life through organized religion, music, art, yoga, prayer or whatever works for you.
Find a healthy diversion. Watch a movie, go for a walk. Play with a pet. Clean up your house or car.
Indulge yourself with comfort. Put on your most comfortable clothes. Turn up the heat or air conditioning. Listen to music.
You can learn what others have found helpful and discover what works best for you.
Emergency telephone lifelines
If you are thinking of suicide, call 9-8-8 any time, any day. Or go to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline website and use the chat feature. This 24-hour-a-day suicide prevention lifeline provides free services, available to anyone. All calls are confidential.
Many people are able to call on strong emotional reserves—or social support—to help them through a difficult time, but not everyone can.
They may feel anxious, angry or overwhelmed. Little by little, their emotional pain takes over their thoughts, leaving little room for anything but ways to end their pain.
If you find yourself haunted by thoughts of suicide, here are suggestions:
Write down your thoughts. Keep a journal. What you write down may help you understand yourself better, at some point.
Get to a safe place. If you cannot stop the thoughts in your head, at least plant yourself in a spot that does not provide an easy way out.
Surround yourself with people. The more people, the better, but try to find people you can interact with.
Tell someone about your thoughts. There must be someone you know whom you can trust. Talk to that person. Say, I’m having thoughts of suicide and feel angry, anxious and overwhelmed. Do not expect them to solve your problems, just listen and acknowledge them. You will feel better when you realize you are not alone.
Ask for help. Call 988 or your own crisis counselor.
Develop a crisis plan. This is your own recipe for survival. Develop it with a therapist or someone you trust. When you are in the midst of a crisis, you will find it hard to remember what to do, so carry this information with you. Give copies to your therapist and others who need to know how to help you. Your plan should describe what triggers your thoughts of suicide and what diversions help to halt them.
Line up people to talk to in an emergency and keep their names and numbers nearby. Put them on the refrigerator or program them into your phone. Make it easy to get the help you need. You don’t want to have to go looking for a number when you are in a crisis.
If you don’t have a crisis plan and/or people you can talk to, go to the nearest emergency room. Don’t call. Go.
Look for a support group. There is no reason why you should go through this pain alone. In a support group, you will learn from others while you have a chance to share your own experiences with people who understand what you are going through.
Take medication. Work with your doctor or mental health professional to see if a medication will help your mood and thoughts.
Get help solving your problems. Ultimately, you have to solve your own problems, but a good therapist can speed the process along by teaching you new ways to cope. Ask someone to help you find a good therapist.
Talk back to your repetitive thoughts. Nobody needs to hear you. When part of your brain over fires, getting stuck in one thought, tell it to stop. Take control of the situation.
Exercise. It is important for you to shift your attention from your head to your body. Do something physical, like dance, walk or swim. When you move around, you interrupt thought patterns, and that might stop the repetitive thinking long enough for you to start building new, more positive thought patterns.
Eat right. A healthy, balanced diet can help you maintain your equilibrium.
Meditate. Get outside. Smell, feel and hear the beauty around you. Build your spiritual life through organized religion, music, art, yoga, prayer or whatever works for you.
Find a healthy diversion. Watch a movie, go for a walk. Play with a pet. Clean up your house or car.
Indulge yourself with comfort. Put on your most comfortable clothes. Turn up the heat or air conditioning. Listen to music.
You can learn what others have found helpful and discover what works best for you.
Emergency telephone lifelines
If you are thinking of suicide, call 9-8-8 any time, any day. Or go to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline website and use the chat feature. This 24-hour-a-day suicide prevention lifeline provides free services, available to anyone. All calls are confidential.
Many people are able to call on strong emotional reserves—or social support—to help them through a difficult time, but not everyone can.
They may feel anxious, angry or overwhelmed. Little by little, their emotional pain takes over their thoughts, leaving little room for anything but ways to end their pain.
If you find yourself haunted by thoughts of suicide, here are suggestions:
Write down your thoughts. Keep a journal. What you write down may help you understand yourself better, at some point.
Get to a safe place. If you cannot stop the thoughts in your head, at least plant yourself in a spot that does not provide an easy way out.
Surround yourself with people. The more people, the better, but try to find people you can interact with.
Tell someone about your thoughts. There must be someone you know whom you can trust. Talk to that person. Say, I’m having thoughts of suicide and feel angry, anxious and overwhelmed. Do not expect them to solve your problems, just listen and acknowledge them. You will feel better when you realize you are not alone.
Ask for help. Call 988 or your own crisis counselor.
Develop a crisis plan. This is your own recipe for survival. Develop it with a therapist or someone you trust. When you are in the midst of a crisis, you will find it hard to remember what to do, so carry this information with you. Give copies to your therapist and others who need to know how to help you. Your plan should describe what triggers your thoughts of suicide and what diversions help to halt them.
Line up people to talk to in an emergency and keep their names and numbers nearby. Put them on the refrigerator or program them into your phone. Make it easy to get the help you need. You don’t want to have to go looking for a number when you are in a crisis.
If you don’t have a crisis plan and/or people you can talk to, go to the nearest emergency room. Don’t call. Go.
Look for a support group. There is no reason why you should go through this pain alone. In a support group, you will learn from others while you have a chance to share your own experiences with people who understand what you are going through.
Take medication. Work with your doctor or mental health professional to see if a medication will help your mood and thoughts.
Get help solving your problems. Ultimately, you have to solve your own problems, but a good therapist can speed the process along by teaching you new ways to cope. Ask someone to help you find a good therapist.
Talk back to your repetitive thoughts. Nobody needs to hear you. When part of your brain over fires, getting stuck in one thought, tell it to stop. Take control of the situation.
Exercise. It is important for you to shift your attention from your head to your body. Do something physical, like dance, walk or swim. When you move around, you interrupt thought patterns, and that might stop the repetitive thinking long enough for you to start building new, more positive thought patterns.
Eat right. A healthy, balanced diet can help you maintain your equilibrium.
Meditate. Get outside. Smell, feel and hear the beauty around you. Build your spiritual life through organized religion, music, art, yoga, prayer or whatever works for you.
Find a healthy diversion. Watch a movie, go for a walk. Play with a pet. Clean up your house or car.
Indulge yourself with comfort. Put on your most comfortable clothes. Turn up the heat or air conditioning. Listen to music.
You can learn what others have found helpful and discover what works best for you.
Emergency telephone lifelines
If you are thinking of suicide, call 9-8-8 any time, any day. Or go to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline website and use the chat feature. This 24-hour-a-day suicide prevention lifeline provides free services, available to anyone. All calls are confidential.