Many people find that talking about their feelings can alleviate their distress. If you’re feeling in distress or suicidal now and need to talk to someone, we’re here to listen.
Find a crisis helpline near you (at the top of the home page)
Each year approximately 700,000 people take their lives. Even in societies where suicide is illegal or taboo, people still kill themselves. However, for each person who dies by suicide there are a great number of others who were desperately suicidal, but obtained help and support and did not end their lives.
For many people who feel suicidal, there seems to be no other way out. Death describes their world at that moment and the strength of their suicidal feelings should not be under-estimated – they are real and powerful and immediate. There are no magic cures.
But it is also true that:
- Suicide is often a permanent solution to a temporary problem
- When we are depressed, we tend to see things through the very narrow perspective of the present moment. A week or a month later, things may look completely different
- Most people who once thought about killing themselves are now glad to be alive. They say they didn’t want to end their lives – they just wanted to stop the pain.
The most important step is to talk to someone. People who feel suicidal should not try to cope alone. They should seek help NOW.
- Talk to family or friends. Just talking to a family member or a friend or a colleague can bring huge relief.
- Talk to a Befriender. Some people cannot talk to family or friends. Some find it easier to talk to a stranger. There are befriending centers all over the world, with volunteers who have been trained to listen. If calling is too difficult, the person can send an email; some centres provide face-to-face help for people who drop by, and some provide help by internet one-to-one chat and respond to SMS text messages.
- Talk to a doctor. If someone is going through a longer period of feeling low or suicidal, he or she may be suffering from clinical depression. This is a medical condition and can usually be treated by a doctor through the prescription of drugs and/or a referral to therapy. Other mental health problems, as well as substance abuse increase the risk of suicidal thoughts, and these can be treated. The first step is to see a doctor or mental health professional.
Time is an important factor in ‘moving on’, but what happens in that time also matters. When someone is feeling suicidal, they should talk about their feelings immediately.
If you are feeling suicidal right now and you need someone to talk to: click here