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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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Casper84 Dealing with Unwanted uncomfortable thoughts.
  • replies: 9

Hi There, I haven’t posted in the forums for a while but over the past while my mental health has been spiralling events in my life just a quick summary (Long term ankle injury, chronic pain, finally surgery on injury and recovery, loss of employment... View more

Hi There, I haven’t posted in the forums for a while but over the past while my mental health has been spiralling events in my life just a quick summary (Long term ankle injury, chronic pain, finally surgery on injury and recovery, loss of employment unable to return to previous profession , financial problems have taken their toll and have left me feeling as though my anti depressants aren’t working and I have been experiencing suicidal ideation over the past few months. It seemed to come and go and at first I was able to find ways of getting it out of my head but over the past week. I have been having the thoughts more regularly. I have an appointment with a Clinical Psychologist next week my first one at a new clinic but have been to the point that I am writing goodbye letters to my family even though I have no actual plans in place to end my life. I just want the thoughts to go away. I also want to know if they are a side effect of my medication as I have been on anti depressants for a long time now.

Lozza90 TW: Depression, Self harm and SI
  • replies: 75

I honestly don't know what is wrong with me. I feel completely and utterly broken. I feel like there is this deep emptiness inside and I just don't feel anything. I've been battling some really intense and intrusive thoughts and I just don't feel lik... View more

I honestly don't know what is wrong with me. I feel completely and utterly broken. I feel like there is this deep emptiness inside and I just don't feel anything. I've been battling some really intense and intrusive thoughts and I just don't feel like I have any fight left inside of me. All I can think about is hurting myself...or 'worse'... my mind won't stop... Because what's the point in carrying on when I feel like this and it isn't shifting....I'm sick of dealing with depression, anxiety, c-ptsd and bpd....overall, I'm sick of dealing with myself...

Grxmloid Anhedonia from herbal remedy, really struggling. TW
  • replies: 2

I have been through a devastating journey with chronic illness, and LONG story short I'd realized that a herbal supplement was worsening all that I was trying to help. Unfortunately one of these symptoms is apathy/anhedonia. I have been off the stuff... View more

I have been through a devastating journey with chronic illness, and LONG story short I'd realized that a herbal supplement was worsening all that I was trying to help. Unfortunately one of these symptoms is apathy/anhedonia. I have been off the stuff for 4 months and nearly 3 weeks now and although it's improving each week I still can't feel my emotions and am dissociative.It's not just the 4 months, I've been suffering from this and the chronic illness for nearly 2 years, so for a huge portion of my life now (I am 30 and want to be living my life) I have been unable to feel music properly, or dance, feel truly connected to nature or people. And no one understands because it's such a specific affliction. I have in the past been emotionally numb from cptsd/mental illness and zero coping skills, SSRI's to a degree, and even from illicit drugs, but this effect is not being caused by my thinking, because it is known to affect the brain, gut, hormones etc. in ways that results in this symptom for some people. I have self harmed this month. It's improved a lot but it's at the point where I'm becoming so lucid I'm really losing my patience and am very aware of how much I have missed out on in life through all this time. I still feel disconnected and am finding it hard to reconnect with friends, I don't have many close friends, and even the ones I am closer to it's sometimes still been really hard to be social. It has been and it's going to be a real effort to get back into community and taking initiative to make new friends + start nurturing friendships again. I am sick of this life, and I know I've learned a lot and I've made it this far and finally am pulling through but I feel so upset by how my life has felt like a vacuum. It's so non linear daily I keep feeling like the rug is being pulled from underneath me, ever since I self harmed a couple weeks ago I keep thinking about doing it again (I cant even drink alcohol etc, not even coffee right now). I just feel so isolated, and mentally exhausted. I don't want to lose hope and I keep wanting to self harm again. I feel at my wits end. Most of what I do is just walk, cycle, or run, and on a good week do one social thing in my small routine as I finish a short course to get work. Life just "feels" bleak at the moment. I'm so desperate

Ash_says_hi wishing I wasn't here
  • replies: 2

Hi, I'm Ash. I've been suicidal for such a long time now, it feels like forever. Every waking moment is wishing I wasn't here. The first thing my mind jumps to when anything goes remotely wrong is killing myself. I can't talk about it with anyone, my... View more

Hi, I'm Ash. I've been suicidal for such a long time now, it feels like forever. Every waking moment is wishing I wasn't here. The first thing my mind jumps to when anything goes remotely wrong is killing myself. I can't talk about it with anyone, my dad was borderline abusive so I've cut ties with him and the situation with my mother is barely better.

_fallinapart_ I just wanna die
  • replies: 2

This girl has recently showed up in my life and ruiend all my friendships my brother has been in a diffrent state for 3 months a family friend that was very close to me has recently died and i feel like i cant take it anymore

This girl has recently showed up in my life and ruiend all my friendships my brother has been in a diffrent state for 3 months a family friend that was very close to me has recently died and i feel like i cant take it anymore

Nelliel Tu i feel like giving up
  • replies: 9

i'm so tired to trying so hard my mum does not really care about me. Pretty recently my best friend my dog died. He died of a tumor growth on his leg and i looked after him for years even before he was sick, I trained and fed him, cleaned him, loved ... View more

i'm so tired to trying so hard my mum does not really care about me. Pretty recently my best friend my dog died. He died of a tumor growth on his leg and i looked after him for years even before he was sick, I trained and fed him, cleaned him, loved him. he was my best friend, through covid and my final exams he was my anchor. His illness got so bad at a certain point that he would deficate laying down and I was physically lifting him up. So he was put down. Following this not even a month later my mum says she wants to buy some puppies from her friend. I told her I could not do it that i was still morning and very tied. She promiced me I would not have to do anything, that she would look after them, i got the feeling this was a lie and that she would by the puppies anyway even if i said no so to escape her anger i said fine. as predicted she lied about me having to do nothing. I train them, cleen their shit ect... I am so tired, behind in my studies, and then get yelled at for sitting all day/going to bed a 9pm being called lazy. I can't do it anymore I want to move out but I can't afford it and it would anger my parents. I am trying to find motivation to find joy in my studies again at least and all I feel is lathagic and sad. I don't know what to do

Kitty88 I give up! What's the point?
  • replies: 3

What's the point? No-one cares... Even now I've called twice and no-one calls back! I've been house ridden since Xmas basically and still noone cares .. I don't have a life anymore all I do is let people down. I'm done being a failure and letting eve... View more

What's the point? No-one cares... Even now I've called twice and no-one calls back! I've been house ridden since Xmas basically and still noone cares .. I don't have a life anymore all I do is let people down. I'm done being a failure and letting everyone down including my son! no-one cares so why should I?

Malen Re: Depression - the beast arises
  • replies: 1

With my depression comes significant SI, its a mix of everything going on and its more escape fantasy but its been pretty bad with plans and means, the only thing stopping me is I dont want my sister to grow old alone. I mean thats a big part of why ... View more

With my depression comes significant SI, its a mix of everything going on and its more escape fantasy but its been pretty bad with plans and means, the only thing stopping me is I dont want my sister to grow old alone. I mean thats a big part of why but there is still some hope etc. So I am safe and not a threat to myself or others. One of the things feeding into my depression is the amount of pain Im in, its a lot, Im on pain patch, really stong pain meds and strong pain med for break through pain. Im on a ton of pain killers and Im still in pain and I cant really do much, most of my day is sitting in front of the tablet messing about, with plenty of appointments thrown in. Again I have no intentions and am quite safe, its more an observation than a desire

United101 Hello
  • replies: 1

Hi first time as broken and think about not being here all the time - abject repeat work failure and worth more dead than alive - bullied from job plus multi back surgeries so no future - want to die without hurting anyone as still have a few people ... View more

Hi first time as broken and think about not being here all the time - abject repeat work failure and worth more dead than alive - bullied from job plus multi back surgeries so no future - want to die without hurting anyone as still have a few people around who would notice - all else ready - no more tears or hurt - what do you do

M-i-a Mirage chasing
  • replies: 1

2 weeks fresh from a relationship breakdown, 10 years and 2 kids. For the past year the distance grew between us, I've been trying to understand and pleading. I feel like I been chasing a mirage of happiness, I've got nothing left sitting in my broth... View more

2 weeks fresh from a relationship breakdown, 10 years and 2 kids. For the past year the distance grew between us, I've been trying to understand and pleading. I feel like I been chasing a mirage of happiness, I've got nothing left sitting in my brothers spare room with 2 kids while she's partying down the Gold Coast. I don't know how to start over , I don't know how to get a roof over my kids heads so they have something of their own when they come and see me. The only time my mind isn't in overdrive is when I'm working or exercising, I have a car and a job. I'm so lonely, casual sex isn't helping. I just want my family back together but that's not going to happen. Doing therapy is just someone listening it seems, "move on , get hobbies meet new people " I'm an introvert and it makes me feel like ending it would be easier. Even writing this seems futile, I just want a branch to hold on to and there's none. I was a drug addict 17 years ago and I just want to take all the heroin I can and sleep... because waking up in the morning is like dying, shit.... going to bed every night is like dying. Do it for the kids... because that's all you've got.