Many people have suicidal thoughts at some point in their life and are able to move forward and recover. Suicidal thoughts can come into your head for lots of reasons. Often it can be a mixture of different things. You may have experienced a recent bereavement, ended a relationship, been bullied or harassed or feel low and hopeless about the future.

There is help and support available, so no matter how big or small you think your problems are, don’t be afraid to ask for help. To make a referral into our service, you can complete the self-referral form here. Suicide is final; there is no going back.

Here are some things that may be helpful for you:

• Create a Safety Plan: Creating a plan to support you during times of heightened distress is often helpful for people to feel more in control of their thoughts of suicide, and to ensure you keep safe from acting on them. Safety plans often include distractions, calming techniques, people to call when you’re struggling, and more. You can complete your own safety plan using this link, and you will be emailed a PDF copy.
  
  
• Keep Track of Your Thoughts: For some people, it can be difficult to know what is triggering their thoughts of suicide. Not knowing the cause can make the problem feel more difficult to address and can make it difficult to know where to turn. Try documenting (in a notebook or on your phone) when you are having thoughts of suicide, including where you are, what time of day it is, and what was happening in the moments leading up to your thought of suicide. This might help you to notice patterns or triggers. This is useful to take to a GP or a mental health professional when accessing support.
  
  
• Talk to Someone: This could be a friend, family member, colleague, teacher… absolutely anyone. You deserve to have support through this. If you don’t have anyone in your personal life who you feel able to speak to, consider trying some different helplines. There are many different services that you can try, to see which works best for you. Here are some examples:
  
  
  • Samaritans on 116 123
  • Papyrus on 0800 068 4141 (under 35s only)
  • Text SHOUT to 85258
  • Childine on 0800 1111 (under 19s only)
  • NHS 111 and select the mental health option