Suicidal thoughts and self-harm

Pinned discussions

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.

All discussions

Sorted by:

Start a discussion

Pointless

replies: 1

I feel like I’ve been running around in circles. I’ve suffered with SH for around 3 years. I’ve been in and out of depressive episodes. And my anxiety is always eating away at me. And sometimes I feel like it’s just pointless for me to be here? As if I don’t really serve a purpose ? I keep losing people I love, and I end up giving up on making those connections because everyone always leaves. But I’m a student, and I work a couple jobs. I don’t plan on doing anything it just gets mentally heavy ?

I hope that I don’t wake up.

replies: 1

Honestly, I don’t plan on doing anything. There are lots of things I want to do and things I’m grateful for. But I’m burnt out, depressed and I’ve experienced multiple triggers in the last week and over the last year. I’m a full time carer to my sibling. I’m in education at full time equivalent and despite working, I’m still mostly reliant on Centrelink Austudy. My study and work have been a great distraction, but it’s no longer working. I don’t want to be alive anymore. I get these thoughts when I go to sleep, when I wake, when I drive and when I’m supporting my sibling. But honestly, I think I just need a really long break from my family and supporting my sibling. I’m never going to get that, though. Not while I’m still alive.

Not sure what to do.

replies: 2

Hello to whoever's reading this.I'm stuck. I'm 21 years old, and have been affected by depressive thoughts and suicidal ideation for quite some time now. Last year, I found out I was legally too late to abort an unwanted and unintended pregnancy. I was manipulated into keeping it, and I hate myself for it; I've never felt so empty or useless before. I never, ever wanted to have offspring, and--depsite what everyone's said--my feelings haven't and are not likely to ever change. Nobody seems to understand that. I feel so alone.I want a hysterectomy so badly. I was only allowed to get a c-section instead of a natural birth because of a single male doctor who didn't treat me like dirt. I've always been afraid of doctors, and I know that I have to see one to get the surgery, but I also know that the chances of any doctor allowing me to have that kind of medical autonomy is ridiculously low. The prospect of getting a hysterectomy is the only thing keeping me around, but I don't want to "blackmail" anyone into doing it for me, either. It scares me I've come to terms with the possibility of getting shot down and the outcome of my actions if it doesn't happen.I hate myself for being born with a uterus. I hate myself for having sex. I hate myself for being so sad all the time. I hate being so worthless. I don't know what to do.My laziness is the only thing keeping me from acting on my thoughts, so I'm safe. Just aimless. I want to live my life instead of merely existing in someone else's. I want so badly to amount to something more than what I am.

What Happens When You Go To Hospital

replies: 3

Hi allI’m 51 year old suffering PTSD anxiety and depression following accident that killed my husband 3 years ago. Functionally normally in day to day life but legal stuff happening (finally) and it is bringing back all my PTSD symptoms and I am having self harm thoughts. I know the hospital system is crowded and don’t want to sit in waiting room for hours in tears and not coping: and then worried about what happens next. I want to know what happens when you go to A&E in this situation?

Suicidal

replies: 2

Hi I’m Sufia I’m 21 year old female going through a lot in and out of hospital everyday with no support. I am finding it hard to manage my feelings and worried what I may do.

Help needed

replies: 185

Hi it’s a long story so I will keep it short as possible I am a farmer and also work in a hospital as a cleaner I have worked hard 7 days a week for 35 years, we opened our farm up to foster children so we. could teach them farm life something they would never experience ,we done it for ten years had two in permanent care one is still with us one 16 year old girl done a runner and took off and has made up false allegations against me no charges have been laid yet I went to court 2 months a go I now have to go back in four days I I am so scared can’t sleep properly sever anxiety I have never done a single thing wrong in my life have thought about suicide nearly every day I have even googled the fastest way to die,two people I worked with both committed suicide 4 years a go. I love my family and the foster child that Is still staying with us knows her twin sister is lying, I am so scared I will go to jail for something I didn’t do so suicide really is the only way out for me, who is going to believe a 57 year old man what do I do the stress is so bad it’s effecting my work.

I want to kill myself

replies: 1

I need a girlfriend but as a 20 year old man that is proving to be very difficult.

Depression at 26 weeks pregnant

replies: 2

Hi,I am currently 26 weeks pregnant with my third child. I have 2 wonderful boys, a mostly supportive husband but I can't shake the feeling of depression. I've had bouts of severe depression and I am on medication but something is off. I am dreading everything... each day it's difficult to do the simplest tasks. My husband thinks I am not trying hard enough. I need help, I have suicidal thoughts. Not sure where to go from here.

Online issues

replies: 2

Hello everyone, i know it's been a while since I've been on here I've had a lot of problems online recently, and feeling really depressed lately. It started when my friend I've known since i was 15 (I'm 19 now) blocked me suddenly without a word. It really broke me because i was in love with him and when i finally confessed my feelings, he agreed to them and everything was fine Or so i thought. He never messaged me after that day so when i went to check up i found out he had blocked me. I panicked, was it because I'm trans? Was it the distance? I tried everything to get him back, messaging, re friending him but he wasn't accepting friend requests. I blamed myself for it and broke down in years because i enjoyed hanging out with him, we were close and i ruined everything by confessing.. After a few days though, i went to headspace to seek more help, i went to my first session but that didn't go so well, i felt very out of place so i left. I also tried kids helpline, but i felt like I had waited for so long i didn't even want to talk about my problems anymore so i gave up.. So here I am, I'm back to beyond blue for help once again. i just need something to make me feel better, I'm lying to my friends, saying that I'm okay because i don't want to bother them. They have their own issues too If someone could help me, i would really appreciate it. - N

I'm lost in this life, it's beyond understanding.

replies: 6

I am new here and just wanted to say hello...please help. I looked into ordinary chat rooms, but find the most sensible conversation comes from troubled folks who contemplate more than the superficial and the nonsensical. My life has reached a cross-road and I don't know where to turn. I have truly tried everything and have come to accept there is no answer for me. I live completely isolated, not by choice but because of life-long experiences, necessity and circumstances. I have no family–I think we are all an irreconcilable embarrassment to each other–or friends, who were ever only users and abusers. Relationships only last a short time, and I can't keep trying. There's no point. I don't fit in, have never fitted in, and my family of birth has the same affliction; but while they have dropped their standards in order to try to fit in with everyone but never achieving it, they have lost their self-respect and their true selves. I am trying to maintain my true self to represent my family. I think of it as my responsibility and I wouldn't be happy doing otherwise. I would love to work through this with a skilled psychiatrist, but I had one and he betrayed me in a way that remains life-threatening. I tried two others since, twice each, and they thought my situation humourous. I have no trust in therapists. Trust is earned and I see no reason for it when I see what is being termed 'treatment'. I am a dead woman walking and fight the urge to end my misery in recurring waves, daily. It is hell. That is what my detractors want.I am doing an online course that gives me a great deal of fulfillment, but socially, I have never found my 'fit'. I never will and I just don't know what to do. No-one can fix this for me. I have to find my own way, but there is none and I just don't know what to do.

Do you have a safety plan? replies: 97

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

Pointless replies: 1

I hope that I don’t wake up. replies: 1

Not sure what to do. replies: 2

What Happens When You Go To Hospital replies: 3

Suicidal replies: 2

Help needed replies: 185

I want to kill myself replies: 1

Depression at 26 weeks pregnant replies: 2

Online issues replies: 2

I'm lost in this life, it's beyond understanding. replies: 6