Thinking About Suicide
About 4% of adults will experience thoughts of suicide in any given year. If you are considering suicide, you are not alone. Please know that there is help available. Do not keep suicidal thoughts to yourself and find someone that you trust to talk to about these thoughts. That person, whether friend, family member, clergy, or counselor, can listen to your problems and help you to find other solutions for what is going on in your life right now.
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The Crisis Text Line is another service available to anyone 24/7. Text “Connect” to 741741.
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Suicidal thinking is usually associated with problems that can be treated.
People don't necessarily want to end their lives, but want to end the pain they are currently experiencing, so if you can help them to find another way to solve their problems, they would choose to live. Suicide is often related to untreated or under-treated mental health issues, such as depression, which is treatable.
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Others might see solutions.
While you might not be able to think of solutions to your problems other than suicide, there are other answers. It is likely that you just cannot see them right now. A counselor, or sometimes a friend, can help you to see solutions and problem-solve without having to harm yourself.
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Suicidal crises are almost always temporary.
Although it might seem as if your unhappiness will never end, it is important to realize that crises are usually time-limited. Solutions are found, feelings change, unexpected positive events occur that change your outlook. Suicide is sometimes referred to as "a permanent solution to a temporary problem." Don't let suicide rob you of better times that will come your way when you allow more time to pass and for situations to change. There are an untold number of people who suffered feelings of despair and thoughts of suicide but made it through to a long and fulfilling life. You can be one of these people.
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Problems are seldom as great as they appear at first.
Job loss, financial problems, loss of important people in our lives -- all such stressful events can seem catastrophic at the time they are happening. Then, months or years later, they are things of the past. If you imagine yourself five years down the road you may see that a problem that currently seems catastrophic will pass.
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Reasons for living can help a person in pain.
You may be able to strengthen your connection with life if you consider what has given your life meaning or what is important to you. Family ties, your religion, love of art or nature, and dreams for the future are just a few of the many aspects of life that provide meaning and gratification, but which we can lose sight of due to emotional distress. You may need help to explore and reconnect to your reasons for living as well as successfully working through reasons you have been thinking about dying.