What To Do If You Are Feeling Suicidal
 

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 1, Issue 4 (September 2007).



If you are feeling suicidal right now, I want you to first ask yourself the following questions:

Have you thought about how you would do it?
Do you have what you need to carry out your plan?
Do you know when you will do it?

If the answer to all three is yes and you are in immediate danger, please stop reading right now and call 911 (or the appropriate emergency number in your area.)

If you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs right now, put off your decision. Your thought patterns and emotions are distorted and you are not acting rationally at the moment.

Suicide occurs when a person's pain exceeds their ability to cope with pain. It usually happens when a person feels that all other choices have been eliminated.

It is okay to have suicidal feelings. No one is a bad person for considering suicide. If someone could give you something that would reduce your pain to a point where you did not feel suicide was an option you would probably take it, no questions asked. Unfortunately, there is no such thing - but your pain can be reduced, or your resources for coping boosted. There are always options! Don't give up yet!

The best thing you can do for yourself, if feeling suicidal, is to reach out and tell someone. Call a friend, a family member, or hotline. Talk to a teacher, or post on TeenHelp's forums. Tell someone, somehow.

Remember, you are a special, amazing, valued person. You do deserve to have a happy and fulfilling life. It is okay that you may not know this right now. It is nonetheless true.

TeenHelp encourages you to reach out and get some support!

Below is a list of some of the many resources available to you:

Websites:

Suicide: Read This First - http://www.metanoia.org/suicide/

Samaritans - Website (UK Based) - http://www.samaritans.org/

Hotlines:

Australia -
Kids Help Line: 1800 55 1800 (24 hour toll free)

UK -
Child Line UK: 0800 1111 (24 hour toll free)
Samaritans, UK: 08457 90 90 90
Samaritans, Ireland: 1850 60 90 90 (ROI)

Canada -
Kids Help Phone Canada/Les gosses Aident Canada de Téléphone:
1800 668 6868 (24 hour toll free/24 heure gratuitement, Bilingual/Bilingue)

USA -
1-800-SUICIDE (24 hour toll free)

This is only a short list of the many hotlines available.

For more hotlines, try these websites:

Suicide Hotlines (USA - listed by state and city) - http://suicidehotlines.com/

Additional Hotlines- http://www.teenhelp.org/hotlines/