10 ways to prevent suicide
No matter how much pain you’re
experiencing right now, you’re not alone. Many of us have had suicidal thoughts
at some point in our lives.
Why do you feel depressed and suicidal?
Many kinds of emotional
pain can lead to thoughts of suicide. The reasons for this pain are unique to
each one of us, and the ability to cope with the pain differs from person to
person.
Some of the thoughts that may
accompany suicidal thoughts include:
• I want to escape my suffering.
• I have no other options.
• I am a horrible person and do not deserve to live.
• I have betrayed my loved ones.
• My loved ones would be better off without me.
• I want my loved ones to know how bad I am feeling.
• I want my loved ones to know how bad they have made me feel.
• I have no other options.
• I am a horrible person and do not deserve to live.
• I have betrayed my loved ones.
• My loved ones would be better off without me.
• I want my loved ones to know how bad I am feeling.
• I want my loved ones to know how bad they have made me feel.
Remember:
Your emotions are not fixed – they are constantly
changing. How you feel today may not be the same as how you felt yesterday or
how you’ll feel tomorrow or next week.
Things to avoid:
Being
alone. Solitude can make suicidal
thoughts even worse. Visit a friend, or family member, or pick up the phone and
call a crisis helpline.
Alcohol
and drugs. Drugs and alcohol can
increase depression, hamper your problem-solving ability, and can make you act
impulsively.
Things to do:
Even
though you’re in a lot of pain right now, give yourself some distance between
thoughts and action. Make a promise to yourself: “I will wait 24 hours and
won’t do anything drastic during that time.” Or, wait a week.
-SLOW YOUR BREATHING: Slowing your breathing helps slow your heart rate and supplies
more oxygen to your brain, while also shifting your attention away from
whatever thoughts you’re having.
Take
a few deep inhales and exhales to regain control of your breath – four seconds
in, hold for four, four seconds out, hold for four, repeat.
-Get
out in the sun or into nature for at least 30 minutes a day.
-Exercise as
vigorously as is safe for you. To get the most benefit, aim for 30 minutes of
exercise per day. But you can start small. Three 10-minute bursts of activity
can have a positive effect on mood.
-Remember
your personal goals. You may have always wanted
to travel to a particular place, read a specific book, own a pet, move to
another place, learn a new hobby, volunteer, go back to school, or start a
family. Write your personal goals down.
-Try to remember that
thoughts about killing yourself are just thoughts. You don't have to act on
them, no matter how overwhelming they are or how often you have them. You won't
always have these thoughts.
Read also How to stop your negative self-talk.
-Remove anything that you could use to harm yourself, or ask others to do this with or for you.
-Get a good amount of sleep, rest
and exercise, and eat regularly.
-Be kind to yourself ,just
as your suicidal thoughts took time to appear, so it will take a while for them
to fade. Live from day to day and don't expect too much of yourself. Even if
you can't see a way forward now, you can be certain that the way you are
thinking and feeling about things will change.
If you have not seen a
doctor or mental health professional before, it is a good idea to do so. They
will listen to you in private, and ask some questions about you and your
situation. This is so they can help you and, together, you can develop a plan
of action. Not everyone who is thinking about suicide is experiencing a
mental illness, like depression or anxiety, but it is routine to be assessed
for this so you can receive the right kind of treatment or support.