Here are some helpful suggestion if you are caught in the storm of suicidal thoughts and feelings:
- CONTACT a suicide prevention or crisis center (See Crisis Centers) or trusted friend, family member social worker, medical professional or rabbi, priest, imam or minister and
- TALK. They will not think something is wrong with you or that you are “weird” or “crazy”.
- SHARE your suicidal thoughts and feelings, fears, anger, disappointment and sorrow.
- BE ACTIVE. Go for a walk and get some exercise. Often depressing and suicidal thoughts and feelings fade when something or someone else stimulates us.
- DO SOMETHING – anything. It does not have to be a HUGE project – but a little project LIKE TIDYING UP a counter or small cupboard. Remember to PRAISE YOURSELF for the work you have done.
- START A CREATIVE PROJECT in art, gardening, music, crafts, writing etc. Don’t worry if your project is not a masterpiece. Many people have found when they are working on creative projects, they forget their painful suffering.
- Find someone or an animal or plant who could USE YOUR LOVE AND CARE.
- REMEMBER that along with your suicidal thoughts and feelings, you are having other thoughts and feelings which are not suicidal.
- LISTEN to your thoughts and feelings without analyzing them, letting them come and go WITHOUT dwelling on them.
- IDENTIFY and ACKNOWLEDGE other thoughts and feeling which are not suicidal.
- READ this friendship letter over again.
- BROWSE Feeling Suicidal? to view carefully-screened resources.
- REMEMBER that you have experienced times in your life when you did not have suicidal thoughts and feelings because you were not depressed but were hopeful at the time.
- REMEMBER times in which you may have felt strong suicidal thoughts and feelings that eventually passed into times of other thoughts and feelings which were not depressing but WERE HOPEFUL and you were able to look forward.
- ACKNOWLEDGE for yourself that having suicidal thoughts in the midst of other thoughts is emotionally draining and that you have shown incredible strength in remaining alive and staying alive in spite of the powerful suicidal thoughts and feelings that you may have.
- In the same way that you do not believe or act upon all the thoughts and feelings that you may have, REMEMBER that just because you may have a suicidal thought or feeling, you do not have to believe or act upon the thought or feeling.
