When hopelessness, loneliness and pain become a very heavy burden to bear, suicide seems to be the only way for us to be free. It's hard to see now, but there are other options that will let us relax, experience joy, love, and freedom again. You can make yourself feel better again by keeping yourself safe in the present, developing a coping plan (a mechanism for dealing with changes or burdens your body faces or accepts) and finding out why this is happening to you.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Overcoming the Crisis
Step 1. Call the help center telephone number for suicide prevention
You don't have to do it yourself.
- The numbers that can be contacted in Indonesia are: (021) 7256526, (021) 7257826, (021) 7221810.
- For help center telephone numbers that can be reached in other countries, visit befrienders.org, suicide.org or the IASP website.
- If text chat online/online chat is easier for you, search for services in your country on this web page.
Step 2. Seek emergency assistance services
If you are planning to commit suicide, go to the hospital or ask someone to take you there. You will receive professional treatment, and you will be in a safe place until you are no longer in danger of harming yourself. Call the emergency number immediately if there is a chance that you will commit suicide before you go there, or if you have done something to injure yourself.
Step 3. Call your best friend
Never feel shy, embarrassed, or afraid to ask a friend for help. Call someone you trust, then tell them what you think is necessary. Ask him to stay with you until you are deemed safe to be left alone again. Tell the truth about what you are thinking and/or planning, so your friend knows the importance of this request.
- It may be easier to write an e-mail (email), letter, or chat, rather than having to speak directly to your friend.
- If the problem persists for an extended period of time, arrange or ask another friend to accompany you in turns, or have your friend arrange it for you.
Step 4. Get professional help
You have a serious condition that requires expert treatment, just as someone with a broken leg should seek medical attention. In fact, contacting your doctor is a good first thing to do. Alternatively, the help center phone number may suggest you to a counselor, psychiatrist, or psychologist in your area, or you can find one in your local phone book or by searching online.
- It is also possible to consult with a therapist in the network.
- A therapist can help make the steps below easier, identifying specific treatments to help you. He or she may suggest that you see a psychiatrist, someone who can prescribe medication.
Step 5. Give yourself time
While waiting for help to arrive, distract yourself for as long as possible by taking a shower, eating or keeping yourself busy. Take a deep breath and promise yourself not to attempt suicide for at least the next 48 hours, not until you get professional help. Cancel all your plans in advance for the next two days, so you can give yourself more time to rest and think more deeply. Right now, suicide may seem like the only option, but things can change quickly. Promise to give yourself at least two days so you can find a better option, or an excuse to stick around.
Try to analyze your emotions and actions separately. The pain may be so intense that it can change your thoughts and behavior. However, thinking about suicide is not the same as thinking about suicide (deep analysis). You still have the power to make the choice not to commit suicide
Part 2 of 3: Finding Ways to Cope
Step 1. Watch out for danger signs
In a very strong emotional state (good), you may underestimate your own ability to commit suicide. Regardless, regardless of how you feel right now, seek help from the resources described in the 'Coping With Crisis' section above if you experience any of the following signs:
- Social isolation, withdrawal from friends and family, feelings of belonging or being burdened
- Strong feelings of self-loathing, feelings of hopelessness
- Rapid mood swings (including good feelings), outbursts of anger, excessive frustration, agitation or anxiety
- Increased use of alcohol or drugs
- Insomnia or severe sleep disorders
- Talking about suicide, planning suicide, or looking for a suicide tool
- Self-harm is not the same as attempted suicide, but the two are closely related. Get help right away if you've done something that hurts yourself seriously or frequently, such as hitting a wall, pulling your hair, or scratching your skin.
Step 2. Make your home safe
Easy access to dangerous goods increases the likelihood of suicide. Don't make your mind volatile. Avoid anything you can use to injure or harm yourself, such as pills, razors, knives, or guns. Leave everything to someone else just in case, throw it all away, or put it in an inaccessible place.
- Minimize the use of alcohol and drugs. While they can calm your mind temporarily, alcohol and drugs can make depression worse or harder to treat.
- If you don't feel safe in your home, go where you feel safe. Hang out with friends, or go to a community center or other public place.
Step 3. Share what's on your mind with someone you trust
Support for yourself is very important when you are dealing with these suicidal thoughts. You need someone you can trust to listen without judging you for feeling hopeless, or giving advice that is likely to hurt more than help. Even nice people can sometimes make you feel guilty or ashamed about contemplating suicide. Try to spend time with people who will listen and pay attention without judging you.
If you don't feel comfortable sharing your story with anyone in your life, read about one of the award-winning programs, the global Buddy project on their twitter page and sign up to become a member here
Step 4. Find other people's stories
Reading, viewing, or listening to stories from others who have struggled with suicide will show you that you are not alone, teach you new ways to cope, or inspire you to keep fighting. Try reading a collection of life stories or Reasons to Survive!.
Step 5. Make a safety plan to 'safe' yourself when suicidal thoughts come back
This is a personal plan that you can use to help stop you from thinking about suicide, when your thoughts start to feel overwhelming. Try filling in the handling tips at lifeline.org.au, or read the handling tips for ideas on what to do. Here's an example of a basic safety plan, although it would be nice if you added (again) the existing red flags:
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1. Call one from the list of 'people I can talk to'.
Make a list of 5 or more people, including the telephone number for a suicide prevention help center. In a pinch, keep calling people on the list until I can reach one of them.
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2. Postpone my plans for the next 48 hours.
Promising myself that I won't commit suicide until I think more deeply about other options.
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3. Ask someone to accompany me.
If no one else can, go to a place where I can feel safe.
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4. Go to the hospital.
Go to the hospital alone or with someone else.
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5. Call emergency services.
Part 3 of 3: Resolving the Cause of the Problem after Things Calm
Step 1. Continue therapy
Good, quality therapy is great for dealing with depression even after the emergency has passed, or just for building positive changes in your life. The following suggestions can get you started, but are not a substitute for professional help.
Step 2. Think about why this problem could occur
When you are in a calmer and safer mental state, think more deeply about the causes this problem could be happening to you. Has this happened before, or is this the first time? Thoughts of suicide can be caused by many different things, it is very important to find the root cause so that you can see your situation objectively and can take the right action to stop the thoughts.
- Depression, schizophrenia, bipolar, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental conditions often trigger suicidal thoughts. These conditions can often be managed with therapy and medication. Make an appointment with a therapist, then start exploring treatment options if you have a mental condition that causes you to feel suicidal.
- If you are a veteran or you experience harassment, abuse, poverty, serious illness, unemployment or loss, you have an increased risk of suicide. It's important to get support from people who have experienced and understand how you feel. There are social groups for these conditions.
- Certain events or circumstances can make us feel useless, isolated, or burdened - feelings that often lead to suicidal thoughts. However, although it seemed impossible to be able to see it now, these states were only temporary. Everything will change, life will get better.
- If you don't know why you're feeling suicidal, it's important to see a doctor, therapist, or counselor to find out why.
Step 3. Find out the trigger
Sometimes suicidal thoughts are triggered by certain people, places, or experiences. Not always the trigger is easy for you to identify. Think back to analyzing that perhaps the thought of suicide was triggered by certain experiences, avoid those experiences in the future if you can. The following are some examples of factors that can be triggers:
- Drugs and alcohol. Chemicals in drugs and alcohol can often make depressed thoughts feel suicidal.
- People who like to insult. Spending time around physically or emotionally abusive people can trigger suicidal thoughts.
- Books, movies, or music that trigger tragic memories. For example, if you have lost a relative to cancer, you may want to avoid films about cancer patients.
Step 4. Learn to cope if you hear voices
Some people hear voices or voices telling them to do something. This situation is considered a symptom of mental illness that should be treated with serious treatment, but recently mental health organizations and voice listeners have recommended alternative methods of dealing with this problem. Try calling Intervoice or Hearing Voices for long-term help and advice on this issue. For short-term relief, the following approaches may help:
- Make an activity plan for times when you hear voices a lot. Some people prefer to relax or take a bath during this period, while others prefer to keep themselves busy.
- Listen to the voices selectively, concentrating on positive messages if any.
- Turn negative messages into neutral, using first person pronouns. For example, change "We want you to go" to "I feel like leaving."
Step 5. Find the help you need
Regardless of why you have suicidal thoughts, seeking help is the only way to stop them. Make a plan to deal with these thoughts in the present, take them over the long term to understand your feelings and change your situation to help you feel better. If you're not sure how to get started, call (021)7256526 and ask for help locating the nearest help center in your area.
- Understanding a treatment plan is not always easy. You will need to seek the help of a therapist you feel is suitable and use a good approach, or you may choose to try medical treatment or maybe both which take a little time to resolve the problem. It doesn't matter if you don't recover in a short time - the important thing is to keep trying. Continue to use the plan of salvation when you need it and to make you feel better.
- For some people, suicidal thoughts come and go as long as they live. However, you can learn to overcome these thoughts and have a fulfilling life.
