Suicidal thoughts and self-harm

This space discusses suicide and self-harm. Consider limiting the time you spend here. To use the section safely, read the pinned discussion.

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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.

All discussions

Charlieg069 Back to the bad thoughts again.
  • replies: 3

I dont know what to do,write,or say. Its 3 am and just spoke to my cousin again. I feel like I burdon her with my lifes pro lems but shes the only one I can cry too. I dont want to deal with life anymore. After 2 deaths,being assulted during a road r... View more

I dont know what to do,write,or say. Its 3 am and just spoke to my cousin again. I feel like I burdon her with my lifes pro lems but shes the only one I can cry too. I dont want to deal with life anymore. After 2 deaths,being assulted during a road rage incident,loss of my job,and already recovered from anxiety and depression all this year Ive had enough. I find myself researching methods. I know Im not the only person in this world with issues but I know everyone deals with it differently, I just dont know how Im going to cope anymore. I never in my wildest dreams thought of doing what Im doing now but I took the advice I was givin and went with it. I dont know what I want,I dont feel like there is any point of me being here anymore. 1 less cranky old bastard for the world to deal with. My wife and kids would be better off,less for them to feed or concern themselves of. No more worries.

Quercus How to get your doctor to actually LISTEN?!?
  • replies: 16

Hi everyone, Will try keep it short. I need ideas from others who manage depression long term about dealing with feeling fobbed off by your doctor when they expect you to be ok. Perhaps you can share what has worked for you? I have depression (and th... View more

Hi everyone, Will try keep it short. I need ideas from others who manage depression long term about dealing with feeling fobbed off by your doctor when they expect you to be ok. Perhaps you can share what has worked for you? I have depression (and thoughts of suicide I refuse to act on) but no matter what I do they just keep on coming back. People in my life expect me to be ok. My psychiatrist keeps telling me I'm doing ok. He knows I am able to keep myself safe and that I will just keep on trying. But I'm not alright. My husband can see it too. He says I'm slowly returning to acting how I was when I was at my lowest. He's angry that I keep returning from the doctor without help. He says I perform beautifully in public and that I'm not letting the psych see the truth. But I'm not hiding it. I've been blunt as with the doc. Gotten angry even. I've told him at home I just sleep, binge eat and stare off into space then realise it's been hours. That I refuse to act on thoughts until my kids are grown but I keep having them anyway. It feels like my doc has had enough of me or thinks I'm a hypochondriac. But starting all over again with a new doc is too overwhelming. I know deep down I will not cope starting again. Any ideas are very much welcome. Nat

Stormy7 The 11th hour
  • replies: 13

34 f , single mother, 4yo daughter, recent breakup after 7years together, he's the father of my daughter, he left me and was immediately dating someone else (single mother with 3 kids, recently single after long term relationship as well) he is so ha... View more

34 f , single mother, 4yo daughter, recent breakup after 7years together, he's the father of my daughter, he left me and was immediately dating someone else (single mother with 3 kids, recently single after long term relationship as well) he is so happy and I am barely functioning, have no family or friends to support me through this, am considering ending it all, the pain is too much to bear, am confident daughter will be looked after and my existence is a burden if anything. just want to stop thinking and feeling, every moment of existence is torture.

I_Need____ I don't know what to do with my life
  • replies: 24

Hey I'm currently attending high school. I feel like my life isn't important, and it doesn't mean anything to me. I try to help myself, but I'm always to stressed with school work, since I have the type of parents which if I get under 90%.... I just ... View more

Hey I'm currently attending high school. I feel like my life isn't important, and it doesn't mean anything to me. I try to help myself, but I'm always to stressed with school work, since I have the type of parents which if I get under 90%.... I just don't know what to do anymore, since my life has just become gaming and netflix. I went back to school for the first time today, everyone else seemed happy but I just couldn't concentrate. I'm just here to try and get help people and find some help for myself. I have been worse at times, but I feel like if I don't do something soon I could do myself harm. I'm too scared to tell anyone about my thoughts since I told a few of my close friends, who didn't really care or believe me. I feel like whenever I'm doing something I usually enjoy, I've just lost all my enthusiasm.

Jinx_ Tw/ help please
  • replies: 6

All suicide helpline online chats are closed and i cant use the calling ones please i need help i have a list of plans and everyone in my house is asleep im 13 and ive been struggling for so long i cant do it anymore please someone help

All suicide helpline online chats are closed and i cant use the calling ones please i need help i have a list of plans and everyone in my house is asleep im 13 and ive been struggling for so long i cant do it anymore please someone help

Indian_dude_woof Tried and exhaused
  • replies: 4

Hello fellow blue people, Just wanted to get out some thoughts, jusy been extremely exhausted this past year, have graduated a year ago and I am in the same position as I was last year, I feel super tired all the time with each rejection letter, I've... View more

Hello fellow blue people, Just wanted to get out some thoughts, jusy been extremely exhausted this past year, have graduated a year ago and I am in the same position as I was last year, I feel super tired all the time with each rejection letter, I've been having self harm thoughts, then even with that I can't commit to it, I get super scared, I guess I am just going through stuff but I just wanted those thoughts out there. Thanks for reading stay safe

Ninox Hi
  • replies: 4

My name is Ninox because I think I am at least 50% owl. I have had mental health issues for decades but I'm here now because my sister is suicidal. I have been suicidal myself and lost friends and family to suicide. For the last few years I've been d... View more

My name is Ninox because I think I am at least 50% owl. I have had mental health issues for decades but I'm here now because my sister is suicidal. I have been suicidal myself and lost friends and family to suicide. For the last few years I've been doing better than ever, able to work full time and manage anxiety without it wreaking havoc like it used to. This comes after being on DSP for 15 years and never thinking I could work full time again. Anyway it seems like now that things are going well for me, everyone else in my family is falling apart. So I'm looking for some strategies to help cope with what's happening without it bringing me undone as well.

H-c Don’t know if this is good or bad
  • replies: 50

Hi, so a while ago I was feeling really how do I describe this? down in the dumps. Last several months including last year . So um I still have these thoughts and all and I’m still irritated 24/7 to the point where ppl asks why I’m always mad. How do... View more

Hi, so a while ago I was feeling really how do I describe this? down in the dumps. Last several months including last year . So um I still have these thoughts and all and I’m still irritated 24/7 to the point where ppl asks why I’m always mad. How do I tell them I’m not and I don’t know why I’m feeling this way either? I still have mini panic attacks and feel like disappearing every time... Everyone still assumes that I’m okay and I’ve got everything figured out but why couldn’t they see (I mean of course they can’t see) that I can’t sleep, and stay up till 1-3 trying to sleep because of all these thoughts and trying to figure out how I wouldn’t disappoint them or let them down why am I expected to know everything. Like I’m not some superhuman or anything. So yeah... that’s basically it I don’t know if it’s good or bad. If it is on a scale of one to ten on it being bad ten being the worst how bad is it.

florencefortyseven How do you cope when you're on the edge of suicide?
  • replies: 5

To summarise my thoughts, I don't want to commit suicide, but I don't want to do anything else, either. Mentally speaking, I am already kind of dead. I have given up, or at least it feels that way. I have been getting my head around a very difficult ... View more

To summarise my thoughts, I don't want to commit suicide, but I don't want to do anything else, either. Mentally speaking, I am already kind of dead. I have given up, or at least it feels that way. I have been getting my head around a very difficult heartbreak. It happened two years ago, but I have not met anyone since. I hate it when I say this, because I can immediately feel the judgement, but we were never together. I have never been in a relationship before. I thought of her as a friend, and she knew how I felt, but she abandoned me. So I have had my heart broken, but I have nothing positive to show for what I've been through. I have no friends either. It is unbearably painful watching other people's love stories unfold around me. I didn't care about relationships until I got Depression. Now I NEED help. People say that you should be happy by yourself, but I am battling myself every single day. I can't rely on myself. Everyone around me is having sex with each other, and the best I can do is convince myself that I'll never need anyone? What does that say about me? I don't want to live a life without love for much longer, but I don't even know if a relationship is going to be worth it. It's going to take a LONG time to meet someone, and even then, what's the point? These last two years, and being broken in childhood, have taught me everything I need to know about how "worthy" I am. Obviously I am not meant to be here. Every argument to stay sounds very unconvincing to me. Every second I stay hurts me. Even being happy doesn't mean anything, because it doesn't make me any less alone. Who's going to care if I'm happy? This is the closest I can come to suicide, but I cannot commit suicide. I feel completely stuck.