Crisis 211 - If You Are Feeling Suicidal


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If you are feeling like you want to kill yourself, we want to help. We know you are hurting right now, but you don't have to go through this alone. This page contains some suggestions for things you can do right away to help yourself get through the immediate crisis and have a chance to find other solutions.

Talk to someone who has experience helping people in your situation:

a crisis or suicide hotline
a private therapist, counselor, or psychologist
a community mental health agency
a school counselor
a family physician
a religious/spiritual leader

Develop a list of things that you can do when you are in crisis. When you find yourself getting overwhelmed, go down your list and do each thing until you are able to go on. For instance, your list might include:

Do some deep breathing exercises. Count to ten while breathing.
Take a hot bath.
Call a crisis hotline (keep the number with you and by your phone).
Eat your favorite food.
Watch a movie on TV.
Read a magazine.
Write in a journal.
Call friends or support people (keep their numbers with you and by your phone).
Go for a walk.

Your list should contain many items that help you to calm down, and may not be like the list above at all. The important thing is that it is useful to you.

Avoid using drugs and alcohol when you are feeling desperate or in a crisis.
Although it is tempting to try to use them to try to numb painful feelings, they can make your emotions more volatile, and affect your judgment. Using drugs or alcohol while you are in crisis will greatly increase your risk of hurting or killing yourself impulsively, even though you may not have fully decided to do that.

Give yourself today.
The option of killing yourself isn't going to go away. It is a choice you can make tomorrow or next week or next month, if you decide that's still what you want. When you are feeling so bad that you want to kill yourself, the thought of just surviving the days ahead can seem exhausting, overwhelming, and unbearable. So try to focus on just getting through today, not the rest of your life. Your coping ability is greatly weakened right now. You may not be able to imagine getting through this -- but your thoughts can play tricks on you when you're in crisis. So don't try to handle thoughts of the future right now; just make a decision to get through today. Today may be painful, but you can decide to survive it and give some other options a chance, at least for a day.

Remember that however alone you feel, there are people who want to talk with you, who want to help. Call a crisis line to talk with someone like that right now. In the Palm Beach area, call 2-1-1, 24-hours a day. If you are located elsewhere in the United States, check your phonebook or call 1-800-SUICIDE, a toll-free number that will route your call to a hotline near you.

You may also wish to visit some of the links on our Suicide Resources page.

Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for seeking professional care for the diagnosis and treatment of any mental/psychiatric disorders.