Suicidal Thoughts
The act of intentionally ending your life with Suicide.
If you're thinking about suicide, know that you're not alone and that there is help available. Many people who have had suicidal thoughts say that they felt so depressed and overwhelmed by negative feelings that they felt they had no other option left but to die. Support and treatment is available to allow your depressive and negative thoughts and feelings to pass.
Help is available
If you are very depressed and feeling suicidal, there are people you can talk to who want to help:
- Make an urgent appointment to see your GP and discuss things
- Speak to a friend, family member or someone you trust as they may be able to help you calm down and find some breathing space
- Contact NHS 111
- Call the Samaritans 24-hour telephone support service at 116 123
Worried about someone else who is feeling suicidal
If you're worried that someone you know may be thinking about planning or considering suicide, try to encourage them to talk about how they are feeling as soon as possible. Listening is the best way to help them understand and improve the way their depressive and suicidal thoughts will pass with good support. Try to avoid offering solutions and try not to judge, instead just provide a safe, confidential and patient space, so they can disclose and reflect on their trauma, depression, triggers or suicidal thoughts.
If they've previously been diagnosed with a mental health condition, such as depression, or complicated grief, you can speak to a member of their care team for help and advice.
See below some reasons or triggers why someone considers suicide. You will see some suicidal warning signs and how you can help with negative thinking.
Reasons why some people want to take their own life?
There is no one reason or one trigger why a person may feel so severely depressed, then try to take their own life via suicide. However certain things and common triggers can increase their suicide risk factors.
Someone is more likely to have suicidal thoughts if they have a mental health condition, such as depression, complicated grief disorder, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. Misusing alcohol, drugs, gambling and/or losing their job can also make a person much more vulnerable to suicide risk factors.
It's not always possible to prevent suicidal or other negative thoughts, but try to keep your mind healthy with regular exercise, healthy eating and maintaining friendships, stroking the dog, social activities can help you manage better with depressive, anxious, stressful or situations that are upsetting.
Other reasons for feeling very depressed or feeling suicidal, can go back in time to original root causes of traumatic grief, physical abuse, sexual abuse, relationship abuse, or PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). Sometimes our self and others may think or assume we have got over a past trauma, however it may still be not fully accepted, released or processed. Therefore, we can be stimulated to feel negative again, due to the following trigger: seeing the person, hearing about the person, photographs of a person, birthdays or other memorable dates (anniversary of trauma), or other frequent triggers.