What to Do If You're Having Suicidal Thoughts

Suicidal thoughts can be pretty scary and many people will experience them at some point.

It's important to remember there are things you can do to keep yourself safe.

This can help if:

• you think about suicide sometimes
• you feel overwhelmed and don’t know what to do
• you want to find a way to manage your suicidal thoughts.

Experiencing suicidal thoughts.

If you sometimes think about taking your life or feel that you want to die, it may be because you can’t see any other solution to the difficulties you’re going through. Sometimes life can be really overwhelming and it can be incredibly difficult to know how to handle things.

If you’re beginning to feel that there’s no way out, it might help to know that many people who’ve thought about suicide found that those feelings went away, and they were glad they didn't go through with it.

Maybe you feel that there’s no one you can trust to help you, or that you just don’t fit in with the people around you. Sometimes it’s difficult to reach out to others for support, butcontact with others can make a real difference.

If you think you need to talk to someone about how you’re feeling but there’s no one around that you trust, have a look at ReachOut's urgent help page for some services that can offer support.

Understanding suicidal thoughts.

It’s important to remember that suicidal thoughts are only thoughts. Just because you’re thinking about suicide, it doesn’t mean you have to act on these thoughts. 

It’s totally normal to feel overwhelmed and stressed if you’re going through a tough time, and sometimes it can feel like things will never get better. If you’re thinking of suicide because you can’t think of any other way out, it’s important to know that there are a number of ways you can keep yourself safe and work through your feelings.

Things you can do to manage suicidal thoughts.

• Develop a safety plan. Anyone who has experienced suicidal thoughts in the past or who is going through a tough time should plan ahead for how they are going to manage suicidal thoughts if they come up. There are apps to help with how to make a safety plan, or you can speak to a mental health professional.
• Seek help early. Talk to someone about how you’re feeling; a family member, friend, local doctor or support service can be a good place to start. If it seems that people aren't listening, keep asking for help until someone does.
• Postpone any decision to end your life for 24 hours. Use this time to talk to someone you trust.
• Avoid being alone (especially at night). Stay with a family member or friend, or have someone stay with you until the thoughts of suicide decrease. If someone you trust can't be there, chat to a service online or use one of the 24-hour crisis services. You don't have to go through this alone.
• Avoid drugs and alcohol. Many drugs can make you feel even worse. They won’t solve your problems and may even make you do things you wouldn’t normally do.
• Write down how you’re feeling. Sometimes writing a journal, story, song lyrics or poem can help you to understand yourself better and find alternative solutions.
• Challenge your thoughts. Remind yourself that, just like other thoughts, suicidal thoughts come and go and thinking something doesn’t mean you have to act. Don’t accept thoughts for what they are; think of ways to challenge them. When someone is experiencing suicidal thoughts, they might really be feeling that no one cares, or that others would be better off without them. This is never true – what would you say if a friend said that to you?
• Remind yourself of reasons to live. Write down what is keeping you from acting on suicidal thoughts. Remind yourself that even though things might seem hopeless, there are things that are important to you and that you still want to do.
• Talk to someone who can help. Contact a crisis service so that they can help with your immediate situation, and help you to find other, longer-term support. You can also make an appointment to talk with your doctor or a mental health professional.
• Set yourself small goals. Try to set goals that will make you feel in control and help you move forward. Write them down and tick them off when you’ve achieved them.

We've borrowed this content from ReachOut—Australia's leading online mental health organisation for young people and their parents—with their permission. You can find the original article here. Check out more of their full range of practical support, tools and tips at ReachOut.com and ReachOut.com/Parents.

Are you experiencing suicidal thoughts, sexual assault or domestic and family violence? Seeking to support someone who is? Call Lifeline on 131 114 or Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800.

Visit ReachOut to get support to help you with everything from everyday issues through to tough times.