Sections
1. What do people do to help themselves when they’re feeling suicidal?
1. What do people do to help themselves when they’re feeling suicidal?
We spoke with a range of people who have experienced suicidal thoughts, they shared things that help them when they’re feeling suicidal. Everybody is different and what works for one person might not be right for someone else, but they shared a wealth of different ideas and examples of things they find helpful when they’re having suicidal thoughts.
It’s helpful to talk about how you’re feeling
People with lived experience said talking about their feelings helped when they were feeling suicidal, whether it was with a friend, family member, Samaritans or someone else.
Being able to talk openly about my feelings and thoughts, sharing with someone, helped ease the feelings. It is difficult to find someone you really can speak to openly about suicidal thoughts though. Talking about it helped me process my feelings and helped me to work through it. I have spoken to my GP, the mental health team, good friends, and the Samaritans in the past.
Member of Samaritans’ lived experience panel
Suggestions from people with lived experience
Remember, if you’re struggling to cope or having suicidal thoughts or feelings, you can call Samaritans free anytime on 116 123.
Opening up and talking to my wife helped me. Talking about the way that I was feeling. She said that she was there for me. Not to feel alone. This helped me to focus on the better things in life. Like her, family and friends. I also spoke to Samaritans who were there for me. They allowed me to talk freely and openly about how I felt. They also helped to understand the feelings that I was experiencing. What support was there for me. Helped me through my bad experiences and that they were there for me at any time I needed to talk. Encouraged me to talk to others around me as well for extra support.
Member of Samaritans’ lived experience panel