Last Updated on April 28, 2023

Nothing lasts forever. That is true even for suicidal ideas. If you stick it out long enough, you will feel better and thoughts of suicide will pass. Among the top methods to do that would be to have a security plan to turn to when you want to harm yourself and feel depressed.

You can start to comprehend the overwhelming feelings which cause suicidal thoughts the way some people can comprehend a migraine before it entirely blooms, said Eve R. Meyer, MSW, MHSA, executive director of San Francisco Suicide Prevention.

The first step is to pay attention to those indications. The next measure would be to really have a strategy that may help diffuse suicidal thoughts.

Safety Plans: What Are They?

“Suicide is all about pain,” Meyer said. “Security strategies are about managing the pain yourself first. And in case you can not, get hold of someone who can help.”

A security strategy is a record of stuff designed to sidetrack the pain you are experiencing. It could be going out for a cup of coffee, watching a rerun of a popular show, calling a specific individual who regularly allows you to feel better, taking a hot bath, or spending time having a pet.

Your plan should be written down and kept with you, whether it is on a piece of paper in your purse or wallet or in a note preserved on your mobile phone.

Security strategies are being used in addition to no-damage contracts, in which patients agree not to hurt themselves. No-damage contracts have been trusted by specialists, but studies concluded they’re not quite successful at suicide prevention. A security plan is comprehensive and gives a list of things to people to do rather than not do.

Safety Plans: Who Needs One?

Some people are at higher risk for suicide, including those individuals who have depression or are manic-depressive, are alcohol or other drug abusers, have anxiety disorders, are aggressive or impulsive, have serious pain or medical problems, or have schizophrenia, borderline or antisocial personality disorder, conduct disorder, or psychotic illnesses.

Having a family history of a previous suicide attempt or suicide also means you’re at risk.

Surely American Foundation for Suicide Prevention:

• Referring to suicide or having mentioned a certain suicide plan

• Wishing you were dead, feeling hopeless, not having a motive to live, or feeling like a burden

• Believing you’re trapped, feeling desperate or humiliated, or discussing escaping a situation

• Locating a means for suicide, including purchasing a firearm or amassing pills

• Experiencing extreme stress or panic attacks

• Having insomnia, or feeling quite irritable or upset

• No longer getting enjoyment from actions that usually bring delight

• Withdrawing from family and friends

• Having outbursts of fury or talking about desiring vengeance

The best way to Develop a Safety Plan

First, list your personal warning signals, which are not same for everyone, Meyer said. It might be that you begin thinking about suicide when you are really upset about something. Or the trigger could be a a wish, a regret, a memory, a mistake, a life change, or a loss.

List things you can do by yourself to feel much better, next. Ask yourself what you like. Do you know the things that bring peace to you? Where can you find them? The list may begin with an easy relaxation technique like deep breathing, and you might try going for a walk or a different sort of physical task, when that does not work.

Subsequently, settings and list individuals which make you feel a lot better. Include phone numbers and addresses.

Those strategies aren’t working, add in a list of individuals and resources before damaging yourself that you can contact, including friends, family members, professionals, a suicide hotline or suicide prevention agencies, or 911. Also make sure you incorporate a reminder of what is worth living for and what’s essential in your life.

When Meyer speaks with individuals who are considering suicide, she ends the dialog with a no-harm contract. “I say, ‘If all this does not work, promise me you will not damage yourself,'” she said. “I consistently use the word ‘me.'”

They’ll sometimes do it as a favor to someone else, although that’s because folks in crisis do not always desire to help themselves feel better.

How Loved Ones Can Help

If you are the loved one of an individual who has depression, you might be fearful that talking about suicide will put the notion into his or her head, but that’s not true. Studies have shown that asking someone if he/she is having suicidal thoughts won’t push them to do it, Meyer

One very important thing to remember: Up to 75 percent of individuals who attempt suicide talk about it. They may come out and say “I want to kill myself,” or they may be more equivocal by saying “I want to stop this pain” or “I don’t see a way out.”

If someone you know is revealing the warning signals of suicide, first take away anything the man could use. Then try to get your loved one to a mental health professional. Consider calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for help: 1-800-273-TALK (8255).