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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Not feeling okay, i’m really confused

replies: 4

Hey, For the past 5 years I’ve been feeling burnt out and worthless before I even knew that I had anxiety and depression symptoms. I finally managed to post on a forum and i’m regretting it as i write it but i’m confused as to why, I've tried searching google but i couldn't find an answer that seemed to fit. In the past I was forced to see a psychologist after my high-school principal saw my self-harm and told my parents, but i couldn't even tell the psychologist how i felt. All i felt was a large pit of anger and despair that my parents found out. I was wondering if anyone knew why i felt like that then, and still feel strong anger when anyone except my best-friend asks about my mental health.

Free

replies: 2

What's wrong? Why are you saying this, whay can't you talk to us. If i knew what to say, id tell you. This illness, it's nothing that's easily explained. The constant war inside of you, the fear the rejection. Lying to others about who you really are, lying to yourself. Feeling like who you are will never be enough, not for anyone. From the moment your eyes open all the thoughts the war inside of you they attack you. To the point your physically ill, and everything hurts from the toes up. When you love you love hard and that need for re assurance is constant. You say the worst possible things to people you love most, because hurting them is better then them hurting you. I don't mean to be this way, trust me I fight it. Every minute, every second of every day. Every breath feels like it's one to many, why burden the lives of the ones you love when you can gift them the loss of that burden by no longer existing. You just want to be free, free from the pain, the thought's. Because dying is easier then living, it sounds selfish and I'm sorry. I just want to be free.

whats the point??

replies: 1

I have cared for others, family and strangers for decades. now there is just me and my disabled daughter in a rental, I am now having my own medical issues and there is no one to care for me or even help. Im on govt housing list for a 2 bedroom duplex , I was initially told a 2 bedroom house of which I am grateful but one we looked at was too small for my bed and already the next door neighbour started sticking his nose in so I turned it down.I cannot live so close to people. even knowing they are there is enough. today I got a call from housing office because I emailed the minister having a go at him so he had a go at them. She seemed to have an atitude problem, though I was on the list for a 2 bedroom house there is none unless we want to move a long way away and start re establishing medical care etc.. There is a lot of talk about people my age ( I am 63 ) retiring , superannuation, I wont retire and I have no super, I made the mistake of leaving my nursing job to care for family. ( no good deed goes unpunished ) and now I am really paying for it. Do we have to see suicide as the only solution ?? if we have to move onto the streets or a flat I will burn where we are to the ground that way I wont have to worry about where my disability scooter is going to fit etc I have had enough , well and truly reached my limit. though plotting suicide does calm me a bit. LIfe shouldnt be like this.

I dont know what to do anymore

replies: 3

tw I've been suicidal for all of high school I can even remember wanting to die at 7. its gotten worse though I've recently moved states and left all my friends and all my mental support I don't know what to do anymore I've been getting visuals. I think I'm going insane I don't know what to do anymore. i cant make any friends here because I have severe social anxiety so whenever i even fumble a word i have the worst panic attack you can ever know and gods forgive me if i make a mistake speaking. anyway I've started smoking again and stealing money to pay for it I couldn't even get to finish it before it got taken along with all my gear its my only coping mechanism other than self harm but they don't understand so they just take it. I don't want to steal from them but I really have no choice due to it being a depressant, so when I stop I spiral. I don't know what to do anymore any advice?

I think this is it. I think I’m finally done

replies: 4

I’ve written countless posts to these forums over the years and I guess in a way they were all cries for help; but now I truly am finished trying. I’m done searching for a purpose, searching for relationships- reason. Time and time again life proves to me that it’s nothing but swimming against a current. My life is empty. I no longer have friends to smile with. I no longer have family I can trust. I no longer have drive to better myself. No matter how hard I try to find that one reason to keep going; it eludes me. I’m 21, I have my own place, I start my first year of university in a month. On paper I guess things seem to be looking up but in reality I’m a broken, bitter person. I avoid all social interaction with my family these days, recently everyone of them independently has messed me over in a way that’s left me feeling truly alone. My sister and dad won’t even take care of my cats for a matter of hours- instead my inspection is going to come around tomorrow and I guess I’m getting kicked out for having unauthorised pets. Everything about my hatred for myself, my inability to be who I want to be, my past has culminated to this decision, it’s just become too much. Psychology does nothing for me, it all sounds like bull. Nothing works no matter what I try. I will always be this shell of a person who is filled with hatred. Why SHOULD I continue?

I dont know what to do

replies: 1

Hey, about 3 years ago my relationship with my parents, and consequently my siblings started become very coarse due to their varied unbecoming behaviours. 2 years ago I decided enough was enough and stopped taking their abuse, I moved out and cut of all ties, I was still at school at the time and moved in with extended family who also were estranged. It was around this time I started becoming heavily depressed with daily suicidal thoughts and very nearly actions on a few occasions, I was prescribed medication which did nothing. After then attempting to join the army to leave my old life behind I was denied due to the medication, which made my only life goal unobtainable, which as you can imagine, made me struggle more with my mental health, I am now living with my partner of two years, who I’ve recently discovered has been dishonest with me, and lies to me, and has completely broken my trust with her actions. My mental health has declined very rapidly since then but I have nowhere else to go, so I can’t leave. And my mental health has taken to much to deal with everything. So now im Stuck living with a partner i dont love, with no career, no family, and depression.

Not coping today

replies: 14

Tw strong suicidal ideation urges and intent how does one cope with all these things going on at the moment… I have chronic suicidal ideation but today is different. I’ve started having episodes of dissociation and vivid images of what I would do to end my life… it’s that vivid that I seem to feel what I would be feeling whilst I’m doing it… I tried to do some tools I’ve learned so far and nothing seems to work… I’ve tried reaching out to lifeline but couldn’t get thru… im running out of options and it feels like this is the end of me… I can’t handle any of this anymore… it’s hell right now., hence why I kinda thought that the voices are right, why try when I’ll fail anyways. Why try when it was destined for me to end my story my way. Why try when no one wants to help anyways… why try when I’ve been longing for freedom which I’ll get once it’s all over… why try when all your doing is prolonging the pain and suffering I’m feeling… so what to do?.

Safety plan

replies: 1

it is because of my safety plan I was denied worker’s compensation. So much for a safety plan. I was severely bullied at work resulting in loss of career, respect and will to live. To get me through survival my safer plan was to get as far away from my house as far as possible. In the eyes of so called doctors who sign a pledge when becoming health care providers to do no harm, because they were acting on behalf of insurer my getting out of the house means there was nothing wrong with me. This was never about money, it was about being heard and believed. Don’t care what happens now. My life was a struggle now thanks to them it is impossible

I'm so tired

replies: 2

I don't know anymore. I was doing so well than suddenly I slipped so much happened that I cant even pick a good reason anymore. I relapsed recently and fell back into the cycle. I've had such dark thoughts recently and it doesn't feel like it'll go a... View more

I’m so tired I can’t do this anymore

replies: 5

I am currently studying vce full time and doing two year 12 subjects as a year 11, I work 6 hour days every Saturday, and complete one hour of tutoring weekly. No matter how hard I try to keep on top of things I just constantly feel like I am failing, I’m so tired. When I get home from school I have so much work to do and end up doing homework until 10 or 12 at night, I know I can’t sustain this but I just don’t know how else im going to be able to get everything done. Im burnt out and it’s only the second week of term. I know I do put a lot of pressure on myself because I am a perfectionist but I really don’t know how to fix this and complete the best work I can. Plus I haven’t really made time to hang out with my friends in a while, I feel like they are drifting away from me but I don’t know what to do. I’m just so so tired i don’t know what to do

Do you have a safety plan? replies: 97

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

Not feeling okay, i’m really confused replies: 4

Free replies: 2

whats the point?? replies: 1

I dont know what to do anymore replies: 3

I think this is it. I think I’m finally done replies: 4

I dont know what to do replies: 1

Not coping today replies: 14

Safety plan replies: 1

I'm so tired replies: 2

I’m so tired I can’t do this anymore replies: 5