Are you feeling suicidal? Around 1 in 5 of us has had suicidal thoughts at some point*. You may feel very lonely right now, but you are definitely not alone.
*Source: OPCS Surveys of Psychiatric Morbidity 2007
Coping with suicidal thoughts
Having suicidal thoughts is nothing to be ashamed of.
Suicidal feelings can be terrifying.
If you are thinking about killing yourself, you may be feeling frightened, desperate, guilty or hopeless. You may be feeling all these feelings, and more. Feeling this way can make it very difficult to believe that anyone, or anything, can help. But you can challenge these feelings. You can choose to live and there are people who can help you with that.
You can survive this and stay safe:
There are people you can talk to and things you can do that will help you through feeling suicidal.
Talk to someone:
Are you feeling suicidal? You don’t have to keep these feelings to yourself and it’s OK to ask for help. Many people who have felt suicidal say that talking to someone else about these distressing thoughts and feelings was the first step to feeling better.
Call a helpline:
If you don’t feel able to speak to someone close to you, use one of the helplines below. That’s what they’re there for. They help thousands of people who are going through hard times every single day.
Keep yourself safe:
Agree with yourself and someone else that you won’t act on your suicidal thoughts while further help is being arranged. This includes removing any means of killing yourself, especially if you already have a plan in mind. It’s OK to talk openly about this.
Be aware:
Alcohol and drugs can often make things worse. It might be tempting to “drown your sorrows” but it may make you more likely to act on suicidal thoughts.
Get help:
If you are feeling desperate and unsafe, make an urgent visit to your GP, dial 999 or go to A&E and tell them exactly how your are feeling. No one is saying it will be easy – but keep holding the hope that it will get better.
Remember:
People DO get through this.
