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Call or text 988 - Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (24/7)
Text HOME to 686868 - Crisis Text Line
Suicide Prevention & Support
Hope is real. Help is available. You are not alone.
Understanding Suicidal Thoughts
If you are experiencing thoughts of suicide, you need to know that you're not alone. By some estimates, as many as one in six people will think seriously about suicide at some point in their lives. These thoughts can sneak up on some people when they are not expecting it. For others, they can come and go, and still for others, they always seem to be in the back or front of their mind. These thoughts are not a character flaw or sign of weakness. They are a sign that you need support, not judgment.
Thoughts of suicide can mean different things for different people. They can be an early warning sign that a person is under a lot of stress and worry. They can be the result of intense feelings that a person doesn't know how to name or how to cope with. For others, these thoughts can be tied to a diagnosed mental illness such as major depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, an anxiety disorder, or substance use. When thoughts of suicide arise, know that your brain is not your friend. The intensity of the feelings and thoughts interfere with your ability to problem solve.
The intensity of thoughts of suicide will wax and wane. For some, they may experience these thoughts only once in their lifetime. There can be moments or even days or years of comfort, relief, contentment, even humor or joy, in the midst of experiencing thoughts that in the moment seem to never go away. With treatment and support, people can and do recover from suicidal crises. Living and dealing with these thoughts can be helped through treatment. Treatment is not one size fits all. Different treatments work better for different people and at different times in their lives.
You deserve support
Do not keep suicidal thoughts to yourself. By sharing your thoughts with someone who can hear your distress, you are no longer holding the secret alone. There is no shame to thoughts of suicide. The thoughts are giving you important information that all is not well. If you find you are thinking of suicide and can't think your way out of those thoughts, reach out to a friend, a family member, clergy member, crisis line, therapist, or counselor. They may help you see alternatives, even if just for the time being, to help you keep yourself safer. Reaching out for help is an act of courage and strength.
Creating a Safety Plan
A safety plan is a personalized, practical plan that helps you navigate moments of crisis and stay safe. It's hard to think of the big picture of a future when you're experiencing thoughts of suicide. That's because your brain has engaged in what is called constricted thinking. Break it down into smaller chunks. Future might mean until the next hour, a day, a month, or a year. A safety plan helps you take things one step at a time.
Recognize Warning Signs
Identify thoughts, feelings, situations, or behaviors that might signal a crisis is developing. This helps you notice when you need to use your safety plan.
Internal Coping Strategies
Distraction activities that help you get through difficult moments. This might include a crossword puzzle, word search, movie, online games, exercising, dancing, or listening to music. Some people find it helpful to have pictures of people they care about nearby, a card or letter from someone important to them, or a poem or song that brings comfort.
People and Places
Safe people to contact and safe places to go when you need support or distraction. Social settings where you can be around others without having to explain what you're going through.
People Who Can Help
Trusted friends, family members, clergy, or professionals you can reach out to during a crisis. If the first person you try to talk to doesn't get it, try someone else. Not everyone has the skills, and where some people are good at doing things, others are good at listening.
Professional Contacts
Mental health professionals, crisis lines, and emergency services available 24/7. Keep these numbers easily accessible in your phone and written down where you can see them.
Making Environment Safe
Reducing access to lethal means. This critical step saves lives. Work with someone you trust to secure or remove items that could be used to harm yourself during a crisis.
We can work together to create a personalized safety plan tailored to your unique situation, triggers, and support system. Reasons for living or engaging with possibilities of a future can help manage the current pain. Your safety plan becomes your personalized roadmap for staying safe during the hardest moments.
Supporting Someone Who May Be Suicidal
What to Do
- ✓Ask directly if they're thinking about suicide
- ✓Listen without judgment
- ✓Take all talk of suicide seriously
- ✓Stay with them or ensure they're not alone
- ✓Help them access professional support
- ✓Remove access to lethal means
What Not to Do
- ✗Try to debate whether suicide is right or wrong
- ✗Promise to keep it secret
- ✗Minimize their feelings or tell them to "snap out of it"
- ✗Leave them alone if they're in immediate danger
- ✗Be sworn to secrecy - their safety comes first
Supporting someone who is suicidal can be emotionally difficult. You cannot give another person hope, but you can be present with them in their pain. Hope can be as simple and as profound as the voice of another human being who appears to hear their fear. Your presence, your willingness to listen without judgment, and your help in connecting them to professional support can make a life-saving difference. Remember to seek support for yourself as well, whether through counseling, support groups, or trusted friends. You cannot pour from an empty cup.
Treatment & the Path to Recovery
Evidence-Based Approaches
Effective, evidence-based treatments exist for suicidal thoughts and the pain underlying them. These include safety planning, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) adapted for suicide prevention, Narrative Therapy, and Solution-Focused approaches. Treatment is tailored to each person's needs and comfort level. We work at your pace, and you are always in control of what you share and when. The focus is on helping you develop coping skills, process underlying pain, and build reasons for living.
Addressing Underlying Issues
Suicidal thoughts are often the result of unbearable emotional pain. Treatment addresses the underlying sources of that pain, whether that's depression, trauma, grief, chronic stress, relationship problems, or other factors. When we work together to address what's causing the pain, the intensity of suicidal thoughts often decreases. Neither the thought nor the feelings will end a person's life. It's what you do with those thoughts and feelings that matters. Treatment helps you develop healthier ways to cope with overwhelming pain.
Hope and Recovery
Recovery is possible. Many people who have experienced suicidal crises go on to live fulfilling lives. The pain that feels permanent in this moment can become manageable with time, treatment, and support. Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense regardless of how it turns out. With support and compassion, you can find your way through this darkness. You can have more good days than bad. You can rebuild a life worth living.
"Suicide is not chosen; it happens when pain exceeds resources for coping with pain."
- David Conroy
You deserve support and hope
Reach out today - taking the first step is an act of courage
Or call/text 988 for immediate 24/7 crisis support