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Suicidal thoughts and self-harm

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Sophie_M Do you have a safety plan?
  • replies: 97

Safety planning involves creating a structured plan – ideally with support from your health professional or someone you trust – that you work through when you’re experiencing suicidal thoughts, feelings, distress or crisis. Your safety plan starts wi... View more

Safety planning involves creating a structured plan – ideally with support from your health professional or someone you trust – that you work through when you’re experiencing suicidal thoughts, feelings, distress or crisis. Your safety plan starts with things you can do by yourself, such as thinking about your reasons to live and distracting yourself with enjoyable activities. It then moves on to coping strategies and people you can contact for support – your friends, family and health professionals. The safety planning model was developed in the US by suicide prevention experts Barbara Stanley and Gregory Brown. It has been used extensively by US veterans’ health organisations, hospital emergency departments and high schools, and there is strong evidence that it works. Many health professionals in Australia also use some form of safety planning to support clients experiencing suicidal thoughts or feelings, or after a suicide attempt. beyondblue has an app you can use to create a safety plan, called BeyondNow. The BeyondNow app takes the principles of safety planning and makes it even easier to use – so rather than carrying around a piece of paper, you’ve got it on your phone at all times. It’s free to download from the Apple Store or Google Play. If you don’t have a smartphone or would prefer to use your desktop or laptop, BeyondNow is also available to use on our website. Do you have a safety plan? Do you have questions around how you might create one, or fill out some of the sections? This thread is for discussing ideas around creating a safety plan, and sharing tips about what has been most useful about this process for you. Below are two videos featuring Peter and Nic, who have both used safety plans successfully. Peter Nic

Sophie_M PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: posting in this section
  • replies: 0

Life gets pretty hard sometimes and many people in this online community have had times where they have thought about hurting themselves or ending their life. This can be a stressful and at times overwhelming experience, and this section is here to h... View more

Life gets pretty hard sometimes and many people in this online community have had times where they have thought about hurting themselves or ending their life. This can be a stressful and at times overwhelming experience, and this section is here to help members who have had these experiences. This is a place to share where you are at, seek ideas for help and know that you are not alone. We are here to create a safe environment for everyone. Please do not provide any details about any plans/ideas that you may have had to hurt yourself, and importantly, help us to understand if you are safe by letting us know in the post. Making comments that let us know that you are having thoughts, but are safe, helps us to know that your conversation can continue without interruption, and that we do not need to put any further follow up for you in place. This section will not be for everyone.It shows posts from people who are distressed, offers public replies to these posts, and encourages people to come back and share how they got past that difficult point in time - what worked, what didn’t and how they now approach these difficult thoughts. It is important to think about what you want from the forums, what information you need and what threads will be helpful to your situation, rather than reading everything that is posted. For some people this section might be difficult to read – if it is not helping how you feel, then please consider moving to another section. This section, like the rest of our forums, is closely monitored and all posts are reviewed by moderators before publication. Moderators will also ensure that anyone needing follow up will be provided with information about how to access further support. ​This section remains a discussion forum focused on helping each other through the dark times, it is not a crisis support service. Any posts that do not abide by the community rules will not be published. Unlike other areas of the forum, threads in this section will be closed after a period of one month of inactivity. If you are in crisis or need immediate help, assistance is not available via these forums. Please call Suicide Call Back 1300 659 467, Lifeline 13 11 14 or contact emergency services on 000.

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Tony217 I know l need help
  • replies: 3

Hi I'm not sure what l'm meant to say here, l do need help, l sit for hours thinking about calling one of the help lines but never do, Yes l think daily of ending it all , at the same time l dont want to die, l just want it to end if that makes any s... View more

Hi I'm not sure what l'm meant to say here, l do need help, l sit for hours thinking about calling one of the help lines but never do, Yes l think daily of ending it all , at the same time l dont want to die, l just want it to end if that makes any sense I'm in my mid 50's and not one to show my emotions, but find my self in tears every day even as l am writing this. I have a couple of health issues, and what seems like more and more personal problems every day. I finally broke down in my gp's office and asked for for help , he was very nice but told me he's not a psychiatrist and that's who l need to talk to and gave me some contact numbers , that was 3 weeks ago and l still haven't the courage to contact anyone. I have turned to a few family members and friends only to be told to hang in there . I'm not sure what l need or what l'm looking for here, but lm getting desperate for help that l'm scared to ask for .. I spend more days locked in my bedroom than l turn up for work, even knowing it will soon cause me to lose my job.. Thank you for listening:(

Darkmaster The inner pain that is killing and destroying me, and the life I never deserved
  • replies: 3

I am literally one of the saddest person you have ever come across. I had literally endured loneliness, bullying (school, social media, in public, etc.), trauma from unhappy experiences, no partner and friends, other mental illnesses (autism, OCD, sc... View more

I am literally one of the saddest person you have ever come across. I had literally endured loneliness, bullying (school, social media, in public, etc.), trauma from unhappy experiences, no partner and friends, other mental illnesses (autism, OCD, schizophrenia) ...all signs of a mundane and miserable life. I even attempted suicide twice but failed, and literally cried at night in bed sometimes. I hardly talk, lack trust and shy away from outside people. I feel like no one cares or hated (by majority of the public). I could hardly get what I desperately want in life. I had no motivation, courage, hope or drive to do things, am withdrawn to my recluse life. Why me? Why must I suffer? I deserve better like everyone else, why must it be this way? Never have I ever got respect, appreciation or empathy from outside people. Depression to them is such nonsense. They either shut you down or berate you. They are never a call or text away like they normally promise. Words of comfort are nothing if they can't be there when you desperately need them to. Guess I'll disappear, it will only afterwards then they realise they need to start putting in more efforts and take it with more priorities. I have no faith in humanity anymore.

April4321 Suicidal thoughts and Self harm.
  • replies: 2

Hi, I don’t know where to start from. I still remember i first tried SH when I was maybe 7th grade? Everyone expected too much and i was not able to cope. Self-harming. Mom thought it was accident. I stayed quite. Self isolated from everyone after th... View more

Hi, I don’t know where to start from. I still remember i first tried SH when I was maybe 7th grade? Everyone expected too much and i was not able to cope. Self-harming. Mom thought it was accident. I stayed quite. Self isolated from everyone after the incident. No one questioned. We moved to a different city then life was back to normal for everyone. I cried quietly everyday, no friends unless its a closest family friend. I can still count my friends in my hand. I pretended to be happy and fast forward 10 years later. My life wasn’t bed of roses but i was surviving with minimal nightmares. Then, i got legally married to a stranger whom i met 3 days before the date of marriage. He treated me well I wasn’t thinking straight my family loves him. I got pregnant, he asked me to abort , I agreed without asking further questions. I cried every night, i have nightmares but he is too busy to notice. Last year I tried again after staying clean for 10 years. Attempted suicide three times but i woke after 8-10 years like i was sleeping. No one noticed. I’m clean for nearly 10 months now. But suddenly i get strong urges, i still feel the pain, nightmares?, chills. my confidence has gone down hill since then. I get flashbacks every now and then. I shared with friend who asked me to seek help but then i lashed out at her. Idk why. I don’t know what I want to do i just want this pain go away.

Oldbar fisho Dont know what to do
  • replies: 2

A bit about me I have suffered pain every day since 1997.after 7 spine surgeries it has come to this .I have to live with nerve pain and a left leg that no longer works properly. I have 2 daughters and 2 step daughters which all love me but I have re... View more

A bit about me I have suffered pain every day since 1997.after 7 spine surgeries it has come to this .I have to live with nerve pain and a left leg that no longer works properly. I have 2 daughters and 2 step daughters which all love me but I have reached a point that I'm just done with this life. Is it so bad to just want to be pain free and have a positive way forward. But I've exhausted all avenues and feel that I just want it to end. The last surgery's 3 over a month ended up with a complete lumbar fusion that has not only made things worse but now I cant work. Any advice would be good on how others deal with these feelings I just want to be pain free and I dont know of any other way out of it

Guest-2342 Gday Everyone *Trigger warning: history of a suicide attempt*
  • replies: 12

Try #2 at posting... Gday all My name is Scotty, and I've been diagnosed bipolar for about 15 years. I had another 15 years of experience with the mental health profession before that, but was mis-diagnosed with unipolar depression, mis-medicated and... View more

Try #2 at posting... Gday all My name is Scotty, and I've been diagnosed bipolar for about 15 years. I had another 15 years of experience with the mental health profession before that, but was mis-diagnosed with unipolar depression, mis-medicated and mis-treated for that period. I've had 6 psych ward stays over the last 30 years, two suicide attempts, and an unbelievable run of dickhead pdocs and other mental health professionals trying to understand and assist me None of them have been useful, apart from prescribing me the standard med regimes. I'm here because I'm struggling again with wanting to stay alive, and because the best help I've ever received throughout the course of my illness has been from other people who have the same disorder. Where mental health professionals don't understand shit, other patients do, can empathize and understand, and give good advice. I've come here for help. I hope that you guys can steer me through this difficult time that I'm not managing well on my own. If you've got this far, thank you for reading. Scotty

Guest_206 Seeking connection
  • replies: 10

Hi there, so I'm very nervous about posting. I guess my story is that I have been experiencing multiple mental health conditions for over 20 years (I'm 38 and have depression, GAD, social anxiety, eating disorder, C PTSD). During the day I work and w... View more

Hi there, so I'm very nervous about posting. I guess my story is that I have been experiencing multiple mental health conditions for over 20 years (I'm 38 and have depression, GAD, social anxiety, eating disorder, C PTSD). During the day I work and wear a mask and pretend that everything is great, and after work I go back to depression land. I'm lonely, bored, tired, hate my life, and have suicidal thoughts but know I won't act on them. I'm on meds, have a psychiatrist and psychologist, have had a few psychiatric hospital admissions, but nothing changes. Going to sleep is the best part of my day. I feel like I'm grateful for my privaledge and the things I have in life, and I do little things like journaling sometimes. I guess I'm just putting this out there to be heard and to connect with other people who are experiencing something similar. Thanks for reading.

Cocotheythem Occurring Suicidal thoughts
  • replies: 10

Hi everybody, I have been experiencing suicidal thoughts for quite a while now. I have started to self harm and I cant stop. I am lacking sleep and I am feeling upset or down often, about different things. I don't know how to stop the pain I'm feelin... View more

Hi everybody, I have been experiencing suicidal thoughts for quite a while now. I have started to self harm and I cant stop. I am lacking sleep and I am feeling upset or down often, about different things. I don't know how to stop the pain I'm feeling. I often find myself thinking about what my friends and peers life would be like without me, and feeling like nobody likes me. I also find myself thinking about death. My life honestly isn't the greatest right now and it hasn't been for a while. I don't feel like there's anybody I can talk to about my suicidal feelings, as I tried talking to a friend and they ignored me, and when I tried talking to a family member they refused to believe it. I feel like nobody likes me, and there's no need for me in this world. I don't know what to do anymore.

Helarctus Today is not a good day.
  • replies: 12

I'm not sure where things will fit, and I apologise in advance for any confusion I bring. In spite of my efforts to be clear, I confuse. Everything feels like an overreach, that I have fumbled into better position than I deserve or earn. Sidestepped ... View more

I'm not sure where things will fit, and I apologise in advance for any confusion I bring. In spite of my efforts to be clear, I confuse. Everything feels like an overreach, that I have fumbled into better position than I deserve or earn. Sidestepped hardships by accident and fallen onto my feet at a run ahead of the starters gun. Lauded for crossing the finish line first when I didn't even know I was in the race. Somehow even with all my luck, I am never enough for the things I strive for. Position, promotion, purpose, pointless. My arms shorten as raise them, fingers fail to fold around and grip, eluding. Everything I am is a dice roll in someone else's game. The days are easier when I can accept I am less. Watching things unfold and filling minor supporting roles that create no risk of drama seems where I am most apt. My ego rises and I have to remember to punch it down. Jam my fist in my mouth and keep my head bowed. Rally against myself as the common enemy til I am numbed by the bruises and left in the corner. Time to make another appointment. Helarctus.

bluedots No other way out
  • replies: 7

i've been essentially feeling suicidal for the past 6 weeks, triggered by falling terribly behind on uni work and still not having caught up even though assignments are due which i haven't started and i don't see myself finishing on time. i'm current... View more

i've been essentially feeling suicidal for the past 6 weeks, triggered by falling terribly behind on uni work and still not having caught up even though assignments are due which i haven't started and i don't see myself finishing on time. i'm currently seeing a counsellor at my uni although we've only had a few sessions and i've always been terrible talking about my emotions with anyone, let alone a literal stranger. they know about my suicidal thoughts but not in terrible detail. i'm considering presenting myself to the emergency department but i don't know what will happen after that. i'm worried about not being taken seriously considering i've never attempted nor do i actively self harm(i have mad impostor syndrome in other areas of my life + i kinda chickened out 2 weeks ago? i walked past the entrance and didn't end up walking in) i also don't exactly want my parents to find out (i still live with them and they are often overbearing and aren't exactly the worlds biggest mental health advocates)