If you have feelings or thoughts that are driving you to commit suicide, you should seek help immediately, and preferably from a mental health professional. Whatever the source of your feelings, they can be handled appropriately, and the situation can get better. You have taken the first step towards recovery by seeking help from reading this article. The next step is to find people who can help you.
- If you are in Indonesia, you can dial 112 from your mobile phone for any emergency assistance, or call the special numbers for suicide prevention assistance, namely 021-500454, 021-7256526, 021-7257826, and 021-7221810.
- If you are in another country, you can find the emergency help telephone number at the following link:
Step
Part 1 of 4: Dealing with a Suicide Crisis
Step 1. Seek professional help immediately
If you are contemplating suicide, seek immediate help from a mental health professional. Help is available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Even if your instincts tell you that you don't want to attract too much attention, suicidal ideation is a very serious matter, and never put off seeking help. You can call and ask for help without using an ID.
- If you are in Indonesia, you can dial 112 from your mobile phone for any emergency assistance, or call the special numbers for suicide prevention assistance, namely 021-7256526, 021-7257826, and 021-7221810, or visit the emergency services section at the nearest hospital.
- You can find contact information for suicide prevention centers on the International Association for Suicide Prevention website.
Step 2. Call or go to the hospital
If you have dialed the suicide prevention contact number and you still feel like dying, tell the person who served you on the phone that you need to go to the hospital. If you haven't dialed a suicide prevention contact, call the emergency help contact number or a person you trust immediately, and let them know that you want to kill yourself. Ask them to drive you to the hospital, or go straight to the hospital. A better option is to have someone else drive and drop you off, as it is very difficult to drive safely in this situation.
Step 3. Share your thoughts immediately with someone you trust
While Step 1 is appropriate in any situation where you are contemplating suicide, some people may feel uncomfortable with it. If you are one of them, you should immediately tell someone you trust that you are having suicidal thoughts. If you're alone, call a friend, family, neighbor, doctor, chat online with someone, the important thing is to do whatever you can to keep yourself from being alone during these times. Talk to someone on the phone and ask someone to come and stay at your house, so you're not alone.
Step 4. Wait for help to arrive
If you have to wait for the person visiting you to arrive or have to wait while in the hospital, sit down and breathe slowly. Control your breath by timing it, to reach 20 inhalations and exhalations per minute. Do whatever else distracts you, while waiting for help to arrive.
- Do not use drugs or alcoholic beverages during this time, as they can paralyze your thinking power. In addition, these two substances will not make you feel better, but can actually make you feel worse.
- If you feel the urge to hurt yourself, hold an ice cube in your hand for one minute without letting go (this is a technique used in childbirth training classes to help mothers deal with pain during pregnancy and childbirth). This is a completely harmless outlet.
- Listen to songs from your favorite musicians. Watch comedy shows on television. Even if they don't make you feel better, they can distract you from your feelings while waiting for help to arrive.
Part 2 of 4: Preventing the Next Suicide Crisis
Step 1. Seek help from a mental health professional
People who attempt suicide are more likely to suffer from serious mental problems, such as depression, and can be helped by this service. These steps can help you work to identify the root cause of your suicidal ideation. If these suicidal thoughts are triggered by a certain traumatic event, such as grief over the loss of a job, loss of a job, or a physical disability, remember that this kind of situational depression can still be helped with proper treatment.
- Make sure that you take your medicines as prescribed by your doctor. Never stop taking medication without consulting your doctor first.
- Make sure that you attend all counseling sessions. If necessary, ask someone you can count on to drive you regularly to the session location, so that you feel more responsible and attend the session.
Step 2. Talk to the religious leader
If you belong to a certain religion (or if you don't) and can contact a religious leader, try talking to him. Some people, including those who are desperate and suicidal, prefer to talk to people of faith than to people who are specially educated/trained in psychology. Religious leaders can help you work through your pain and provide a different perspective, as well as encourage you to rethink things.
- Even though there are so many religions and beliefs with all their differences, every major religion agrees that suicide is a bad act.
- Not all religious principles are related to or based on mental health principles.
- Atheists and people who have had bad experiences with one religion or all religions in general may find it difficult to follow this advice.
Step 3. Find a support group
There may be support groups, which meet online or physically in your neighborhood, where you feel comfortable talking to others who are also having suicidal thoughts or have attempted suicide in the past, and are building a social network of people who understand each other, so that you can help each other in difficult times.
- In Indonesia, there is no dedicated website for suicide prevention services. However, you can call the service by telephone (021-500454, 021-7256526, 021-7257826, and 021-7221810) and ask for help so you can connect with a support group that can look after you. You may also be able to tell your specific needs about these support groups, such as special youth support groups.
- If you don't have a support group for depression or suicide in your area, talk to a therapist or local hospital and ask about the support groups they organize, or ask for advice on how to find a support group. You can also visit websites (in English) that provide online counseling services via video.
Step 4. Remove all means of suicide
If you have recently had suicidal thoughts, get rid of all objects that you could use to kill yourself, including alcohol, illegal drugs, sharp objects, rope, or any other object you have ever thought of using. If you have a gun, make sure as soon as possible that it is out of your reach. This may sound extreme, but if you get rid of everything that you could easily use as a suicide tool, your chances of committing suicide will also be greatly reduced.
Step 5. Avoid being alone
If you feel suicidal, you need to make sure that your friends and family don't stop watching you. If you don't have anyone to watch over you, stay in the emergency room at a hospital, to make sure you're not alone. If you're in a support group, rely on other group members for extra support, especially members who really understand what you're going through.
Step 6. Develop a safety plan
If you are prone to suicidal ideation, it is very important that you have a safety plan in place to keep yourself out of harm's way. You can make this plan alone or together with friends or family. Things to include in your plan are getting rid of items that could be used for suicide, meeting friends or family immediately (or other people, so you're not alone), calling someone, or waiting 48 hours before thinking about your decision. return. Giving yourself time to slow down and rethink things can be a huge help.
Part 3 of 4: Formulating Long-Term Goals
Step 1. Find out the cause of your suicidal thoughts
There are many things that can cause people to want to commit suicide, from unbearable domestic situations to mental illness. If you have a mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar syndrome, or schizophrenia, you need to see a doctor and get treatment right away. Treatment can make you feel more relaxed and in control of your mind and body. While it may not improve your problem situation, medication can point you towards a happier life.
- If your domestic situation is unbearable, find a way to get out of the house as soon as possible. It's not advisable to make rash decisions that you'll regret later, but if there's a way you can live in a better place, don't put off doing it any longer. Consider asking friends, family, therapists, or your personal doctor for help, if you don't know how to get started.
- Clinical psychologists, counselors, and social workers are trained to help you through difficult situations and may have experience helping others through situations similar to yours.
- These professionals can also help with long-term treatment, so you'll be fine once you've managed to feel better this time around.
Step 2. Know the common causes of suicide
Knowing the factors that can put you at risk for suicide can help you identify your risks and determine the causes of your behavior. The most common contributing factors to suicide included experiencing or having one of the following:
- Stressful events in life
- Excommunicated
- Mental disorders, including addiction to certain substances
- Family history of mental illness, suicide, or substance abuse
- Chronic illness or illness related to suicide, such as a terminal illness
- Unsupportive family environment (eg related to sexual identity, severe family dysfunction, mental disorders of family members, etc.)
- Previous suicide attempts
- Bullying (bullying)
- History of conflict with spouse (married or unmarried) or family members.
Step 3. Find any physical pain you feel physically
People with chronic illnesses often have suicidal thoughts. Sometimes physical pain can be masked by other things, such as emotional stress. Physical pain is stress on our bodies, and sometimes it can weaken mental health as well. Finding the root of chronic pain can help you feel better mentally.
- Stress can bias diseases related to the autoimmune system, such as fibromyalgia, and you may not even realize that this is due to physical pain, because the emotional stress is so unbearable.
- Migraines also cause extreme pain and can trigger suicidal ideation.
- The solution to these medical problems is to go to a pain management clinic and get treatment for the pain, if necessary on a long-term basis. Unfortunately, people with chronic pain sometimes don't get proper pain care and attention from their doctors, and pain management clinics are specially trained to focus on the patient's pain, which is often overlooked by other medical professionals.
- Go to the emergency department if the pain is unbearable and even makes you want to kill yourself. This is an emergency situation that requires medical intervention, not one where you have to be brave and endure it. This is something you shouldn't be responsible for yourself!
Step 4. Avoid taking drugs and alcoholic beverages
Although drugs and alcohol have long been used as a way to relieve pain, if you're having suicidal thoughts, get rid of them so they don't leave a trace. These substances can cause or increase levels of depression and encourage impulsive behavior and thoughts that ultimately make you more likely to commit suicide.
Step 5. Get some sleep
If you're having suicidal thoughts, you really can't just go to bed as if nothing happened, and you may feel offended by reading this advice. However, there is a link between sleep disturbances and suicide.
- Lack of sleep can cloud your decision-making abilities, and giving your body and mind a moment to recuperate can lead to clearer thinking.
- While sleep won't cure depression or suicidal thoughts, sleep deprivation will certainly make it worse.
Step 6. Give it some extra time
Remember that suicide "does not require active action". Quick and easy methods of suicide are usually very lethal, which means you have no hope of a second chance if you choose these methods.
- Tell yourself that you won't be doing anything for 24 hours. After 24 hours, change the time to 48 hours. After that, make it a week. Of course, seek help during this time limit. However, sometimes realizing that you can endure short periods of time, one day at a time, will help you realize that you can endure it all.
- While giving yourself more time to rethink things, find other ways to move past the negative feelings you're experiencing about ending your life, such as seeking help from a friend or a healthcare professional.
- Getting rid of the thought that your life needs to end is half the battle you're in.
Part 4 of 4: Looking for Other Alternatives
Step 1. Recognize that this is normal and that other people experience it too
Many people who are contemplating suicide are able to move past their feelings and improve their outlook on life, when health professionals help them to develop self-management mechanisms and other forms of support.
It's okay to have suicidal thoughts, but you shouldn't, because there are other ways to deal with your pain
Step 2. Realize that you can make new choices and changes every day
Be brave and change the situation that makes you unhappy. Transfer to a new school. Leave all your friends behind for a while. Move to a new place of residence. End unhealthy relationships. Accept your parents' disapproval of your personal lifestyle choices, and work out the emotional problems that arise from these situations.
- A therapist can help you deal with these emotional problems, so that they have minimal impact on you, and so that you can be supported to resolve negative influences in your life.
- Suicide is a drastic measure, but there are other, more drastic measures that cannot be reversed.
Step 3. Don't think that suicide is a strategy for revenge
Sometimes suicidal thoughts are related to the anger and hatred you feel towards other people. Don't let that anger boil back into you.
- The best thing you can do is live your life the way you want, and be successful in the things you want to succeed.
- Hurting yourself has absolutely no use in getting your revenge on someone else, and it's totally not worth it. Instead, think about what you can do the next time you see that person.
Step 4. Continue to take good care of yourself, even after the negative feelings have disappeared
The fact is, if you have had suicidal thoughts at one time, you are more likely to have those thoughts and feelings in the future. This means that, even if you feel fine for various reasons, you should remain vigilant and always take care of yourself as well as you can. Get enough rest, get plenty of exercise, try to maintain valuable relationships with other people, and don't neglect taking care of your mind and body. Staying healthy and happy should be your top priority.
- Even if you're feeling better, it's important that you have a strong support system around you, and continue with the treatments that have helped you feel better. If you don't have a support system, a therapist can help build one for you, so you can ask more people for help. However, recovery doesn't mean ignoring the pain you felt before, or you might feel at a later time.
- It's important that you be honest and open about your feelings and look for ways other than suicide to digest your feelings.
- Develop a plan of action for what you need to do if suicidal feelings come back. For example, Step 1 is to call the emergency services phone number, Step 2 is to call a specific, agreed-upon person from the support group network, and so on. Think about what has proven to be most effective in helping you to get past suicidal thoughts and incorporate that into your action plan, so that you have concrete action guidelines to take if you run into a similar crisis situation in the future.
Tips
- One thing you need to consider is this: If you kill yourself, someone will have to clean up the suicide site you left behind. Ordinary professional cleaners and police do not provide this service. You force your family to clean the physical traces of your suicide: corpse, blood, vomit, feces, and other bodily fluids. Do you really want to do this to someone? Doesn't this show that suicide is not a classy act and is actually heinous?
- As bad as your situation may seem, hold on to the hope that things will get better. And remember, suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.
- Remember that there is always someone out there who loves you even if you don't realize it.
- Rely on people you can trust.
- Ignore religious people if they are trying to embarrass you or make you feel even more suicidal.
