Understanding Suicide Crisis: When Everything Seems Too Much
By Caroline Harroe (Harmless CEO)
Sometimes, life can throw curve balls that feel impossible to handle. When emotional pain becomes so overwhelming that a person believes the only way out is to end their life, that’s called a suicide crisis. It’s like being lost in a dark tunnel, with no light at the end in sight.
What Does a Crisis Look Like?
Everyone’s experience is different, but here are some common signs someone is in crisis:
- Talking about wanting to die: They might say it outright, or hint at it with phrases like ‘I can’t go on’.
- Making a plan: They might start researching methods, giving away possessions, or saying goodbye.
- Feeling hopeless and trapped: It’s like their usual problem-solving skills are gone, and they can’t imagine things ever getting better.
- Acting reckless or impulsive: They might use substances more, or take risks they wouldn’t normally take.
Other Things That Raise the Alarm
Certain situations make someone even more vulnerable to crisis:
- Recent loss, especially losing someone to suicide
- Feeling alone and isolated
- Struggling with self harm
- Misusing substances
- Having a mental health condition
Important Things to Remember
- It’s temporary: A crisis, while incredibly scary, can pass. With the right help, things can improve.
- It’s serious: A suicide crisis is an emergency. Don’t hesitate to reach out for professional help.
- Help exists: There are people trained to help navigate these moments. Resources are listed below.
Why Urgency Matters for Harmless
At Harmless, we understand that when someone’s in a suicide crisis, every minute counts. That’s why referrals where a person is in this state get prioritised for immediate help. If delays are unavoidable, though, it might mean that person is no longer in the acute ‘crisis’ stage. This is important, because then we adjust our support to match their current needs, focusing on longer-term strategies instead of immediate crisis intervention.
The beauty of our service is that we have access to additional offers, so if someone does transition out of their crisis, then there are other interventions available within our service that may become better solutions to the distress that person is experiencing. We can change with a person’s needs with a range of internal service offers.
Contact Us
You can make a referral to us either for yourself or on behalf of someone else here. Alternatively, you can call us on 0115 880 0280 or email support@harmless.org.uk. Our office is open Monday – Friday 9am–5.30pm.
Out of Hours Support
Our Out of Hours service operates every Thursday evening between 6pm–11pm and is available to anyone in Nottinghamshire or Leicestershire who at risk of self harm or struggling with suicidal thoughts or crisis. You can complete a referral form here. If a client is unable to complete the form, they can either call or text 07925 579 516 during the service’s opening hours.
Need Help Now?
• If you need support immediately, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123 for 24/7 listening support.
• Alternatively, text SHOUT to 85258 for 24/7 text message support.
• You can also create an individualised safety plan here: https://yoursafetycomesfirst.co.uk/
• If you need urgent mental health support, call NHS 111 and select Option 2.
• If you are in an emergency and need immediate help, please contact the emergency services on 999.
