Suicidal thoughts and self-harm

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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 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

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 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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First time ECT by scrabbling

replies: 43

Hi to all especially mmMeKitty, the Pages here have changed and I can no longer find our thread and I haven't got the tolerance to spend hours on my phone, so I hope you see this. as I said before the roller coaster has been at Full Speed and it finally came into the station which is Ward and I had to make a decision. I cannot keep going the way I am and the doctors have mentioned a few times in the last 6 months about ECT to be honest it absolutely bloody terrified me, I know we shouldn't assume but I think everyone has seen One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest!!! certainly didn't help people's perception. I have been drowning for a long time it's been like walking in a thick fog I was desensitized totally to life and unbearably sad and just wanted it all to stop, the staff here on ward have been fantastic and I had my first ECT yesterday I will be honest it wasn't a perfect run, my anxiety exploded as I am awful to cannulate at the best at times but when I'm stressed my veins disappear, so I think I was a bit like "when you give a pill to a cat" and you retrieve it off the curtains and off the back of the couch and from under the bed !!!! that was me, the staff were very patient and finally they managed to get a vein, I woke up with a minor headache and a little bit of shoulder blade soreness none that really wasn't sorted with some Panadol, I did have a sore neck later that night again that went away with just the hot shower, I can't speak for everybody and possibly may even sound stupid but after the treatment I had a snooze for a few hours and I did feel clearer and even if it was briefly a spark (excuse the pun) the old me made a breif appearance, yes the sadness came back in the afternoon and I'm sure I will be having a few more treatments but I had nearly forgotten the old me. So will see how things pan out,

Can't take it anymore

replies: 1

I have been married for 8 years to a man I loved for more than 3 years before marriage. From the very beginning of our marriage, he never liked my family because we are poor and unable to provide for dowry and jewellery for the wedding. I thought it was just a phase and it will be fine once I moved in with him. I moved from India to Australia with the promise of a better lifestyle leaving all my friends and family. Now I regret this as the worst decision of my life. He started slowly isolating me from my friends and family. I got a small job within a few months in the same company as him and tried to help my parents in clearing my student debt and dowry debt. He immediately freaked out and forbid me from maintaining any contact with my family and friends. This was because he got me the job and the money is technically his and I cannot spend them on my family. I still believed him and thought everything will be alright once we have kids. The actual trouble started from then as I insisted on both my parents come to Australia to help me with my child birth. The moment they came to our home, he started disrespecting them and started treating them like maids. During my daughter's 1st birthday, in laws started demanding for wedding jewelry and property my parents owned. A big fight happened between my dad ,my inlaws and my husband. I was forbid from maintaining any contact with them. Every bank transaction of mine were monitored. Finally It reached a point that he started spreading false stories about my parents. My parents lost their respect in the family and made them feel like culprits. My parents have disowned me now and I am also forbidden to attend their funerals. I lost everything in my life with no support from friends and family. I am suicidal thoughts for about 3 months from now and tried discussing this with my husband but the reply I got from him was " let's get separated and then you go for suicide since you will no longer be my responsibility ". I realised I am just an insignificant part of his life who is an unpaid maid and nanny. I can't take it anymore. There is no Shoulder to cry on. He doesn't allow me access to a therapist. I can't even contact a helpline as he was always monitoring me. The only thing holding me together is my daughter. If not for her I would be gone long ago

TW - depression, self harm, rape

replies: 1

I've spiralled right down recently and I don't even know how I got to this point. My self harm has escalated, it's more frequent and worse atm. Memories of when I was raped have been popping up in my head every other day even though it was 10yrs ago now. I don't feel comfortable getting close to anyone still even after so much time has elapsed. I'm so emotional right now and tired... oh so tired. I've recently tapered off my psych meds as none seem to help and I don't like being medicated, plus the cost. No one wants to be around someone who is depressed, they just see you as miserable and horrible to be around. I don't want to burden anyone with my constant low mood anyway. I feel so very unwell mentally atm but my debilitating anxiety means I can't make phone calls so helplines are out. I couldn't even bring myself to go to the hospital today when my self harm was getting out of hand. I see a psychologist regularly atm but she is stretched thin and often booked out and sometimes it just gets so hard to cope with anything between sessions. I'm seeing my gp next week with my psychs recommendation but she'll just put me on another antidepressant I don't want to be on. Someone said to me today in a text that they hope I'm ok, when I said I wasn't but thank you for the message, they didn't reply. I know they said something to my boss who just went into damage control/prevention and pretended they care about my mental health but I know from past experience they don't. I feel so lost, sad and alone and I don't know what to do.

Excessive guilt

replies: 2

Has anyone every experiences unreasonable guilt?. Going back to about 2011 I accidently concused my workmate participating in a kind of "fight club". I was mixed in with the wrong group of people and this isn't usually me Forward to about 2019, I learned about post concusion syndrome and what it can do to people (depression, suicide, brain complications etc). I now feel guilty day in day out to the point I feel I don't deserve the basic pleasures in life like sleep. I no longer have contact with this person and can't make sure he's alright. I just don't know how to get myself out of this mental spiral! I'm burnt out and I feel like I don't deserve to get better as well. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Help

replies: 2

I'm stuck and i want to die.My only support is my friend but I've stopped telling her things because it puts to much weight on her and she's already been through so much. My mental health has gotten to a point where I'm seriously considering going to the hospital, but I can't because I'm 13 and I don't trust my parents. They're great people I just don't trust them. I wish I could just die but I couldn't do that to my siblings. They're 8 and 10 and i love them to the end of the world and back. I got yelled at for crying (I'll admit it was for a stupid reason) and it made me feel like trash. No-one takes me seriously because I'm 'not emotionally mature enough'. I have a self harm addiction and no one knows because they don't pay attention to me at all. Please someone just talk to me like a human and not a 6 year old.

I’m completely lost

replies: 8

I’m a 49 year old man. My 25 year marriage broke down. I moved out of our huge detached house with pool into a 2 bed unit. My boys aged 19 and 21 have made it clear they want nothing to do with me now. All my family is overseas. I have no friends here at all even after 16 years. And I mean none - there is nobody I can call or talk to. I have no social life at all. I miss my pets too. other than getting up and going to work I have nothing. I’m not living, I’m existing, so what’s the point? I’ve even jumped on dating sites just to try and find a connection with someone but have had zero luck. what Is the point in carrying on. I’m dreading the long weekend. It will just be 4 days sat at home on my own seeing and talking to nobody instead of 2 days which is hard enough. I feel like I’m done and nobody will miss me anyway. I’m totally lost and permanently sad.

I am losing it: crap job, everything is going to shit...

replies: 5

I am just so done with everything...my job is at its worst point in the manager does not care to supply our shop and it looks empty. People keep asking if we're closing down and I just don't know...my hours have been cut too... Been looking everywhere for something that is not retail. I wanted to continue my studies but can't find find a work placement... I look at things around me and it's just more corruption and nothing is getting done... Usually my psychologist would say it's not my responsibility and I personally shouldn't worry about it now since I'm not in a position to do anything about it, well, it still doesn't give me a reason to go on. I have a partner and pets but it has gotten to the point that I don't care about them anymore, I have nothing to look forward to anymore.

At The End

replies: 3

I'm scared to move forward. I have a dr and a psychologist, and nothing is helping. Please don't tell me to go back to my dr. No one around me seems to believe how bad I actually feel. I consider suicide all the time, I would do it but I hate pain. I don't know how to do it. Something needs to help me. I have been staying with my parents since having to move from my flat due to community violence. My father is critical and tries to argue with me, he is undermining. I need to get out yet I don't think it's good to be alone. I've considered going to a womens shelter but that doesn't sound like the right thing. I'm scared of things like hospitals and endless drs trying different meds that dont work, I dont need alone time staying in a hospital. I just need a mentor or a friend I need to be able to recover from what is happening for me but I can't it's too painful I am worried please take me seriously I need options I NEED HELP

Newbie Not Coping Well

replies: 3

Hi y’all! I’m new here and I don’t know how this goes but someone has told me this service might help… So what’s going on? Im struggling to keep my mental health at this moment… Im having the urge to end my life right now… the plan and the things to use are laid out in front of me… I somehow started to write the note to my family once I’ve done it. Got all things sorted for my family to have when I’m gone.. i have very little community support which in the past was enough but I don’t know about today if it is enough… I feel lonely hopeless and worthless right now

I just feel so hopeless and i need a way to ease the pain

replies: 7

i have suffered with depression and anxiety for a while now, but recently they both have gotten a lot worse. i feel that i no longer have anything to look forwards and im not ready for all the pressure and responsibility that school and growing up gives you. the stress of daily life is getting to me and now i feel that i dont really have anything to look forwards to. ive stopped trying at school, and now im just doing the bare minimum. i used to hurt myself. The emotional pain got too much for me yesterday, so i hurt myself and i just want a way to either end my pain, or put a pause on all of my responsibility. i keep finding myself thinking that it would be easier if i was never born, or if i died. although i want to die, i'm to scared to and i dont want to face the risk of failing.

Do you have a safety plan? replies: 97

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

First time ECT by scrabbling replies: 43

Can't take it anymore replies: 1

TW - depression, self harm, rape replies: 1

Excessive guilt replies: 2

Help replies: 2

I’m completely lost replies: 8

I am losing it: crap job, everything is going to shit... replies: 5

At The End replies: 3

Newbie Not Coping Well replies: 3

I just feel so hopeless and i need a way to ease the pain replies: 7