Supporting yourself through a suicide crisis
Knowing ways to support yourself when you are navigating overwhelming thoughts can empower you to take the actions you need to keep yourself safe.
Here are some suggestions of ways you can support yourself when experiencing thoughts and feelings of suicide.
If you want to speak about your thoughts and feelings with a peer worker who has their own lived experience of suicide, you can find peer services here.
If you are in need of crisis support, please contact a 24/7 crisis service.
If you are in immediate physical danger and are at risk of serious injury, reach out for immediate support by calling 000.
Create a safety plan
A safety plan is a document of the things we need to feel safe.
It lists the people, professionals, and services that we trust in an emergency.
It includes calming activities and spaces for self-care.
Prepare a safety plan alone, or with a trusted friend or professional.
Some things to consider when making a safety plan
Who do I trust to reach out to when I need support?
What care treatments or facilities am I comfortable engaging with? Which ones am I not?
What signs, feelings, and thoughts suggest I need someone to step in to support me?
Are there previous interventions that worked such as breathing, weighted blankets, sensory products etc.
Inform others of your safety plan
Sharing a safety plan with the people you trust may provide some relief when you don’t know what to do. A safety plan helps give direction and steps for others to follow when you are in a distressed state.
Share with a friend, family member, counsellor, GP, or a peer worker.
Some things to consider are:
- Who can be there when you are in crisis?
- Who can you talk to and who can support you through this process?
- Do you need to speak to a support service?
- Do you need to speak to a peer worker with a lived experience of suicide?
- What can you do to soothe and nurture yourself?
Create a calm and safe environment
Your physical environment is important when you are experiencing crisis. Re-locating to a space that feels safer for you might be helpful, or you can find things to bring into the space to create a sense of calm. Things to consider:
How can you make your environment feel safer?
What items, smells or sounds feel calming to you?
Do you need practical support such as cleaning or meals?
Who could you ask to be there with you?
Read more about caring for ourselves here.