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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Schizophrenia

replies: 2

Hi BBers, I think I may have schizophernia. It runs in the family and I have not been able to get my act together for a few years now. Can anyone recommend a GOOD physician? OMD.

How to cope following an attempt?

replies: 7

I attempted suicide last week, and am okay physically now after a hospital stay, but now i dont know what to do. My partner of 9 years has been very distressed by the attempt and is unsure if he wants to continue our relationship. I don't know how to... View more

I hate this time of year & everything about my life

replies: 251

I'm suffering from chronic pain issues; auto immune related issues and a body that is basically falling apart. I have no family around except for a brother (and sister in law,and niece), who would rather spend time with their friends - even though I pushed myself to be there for their daughters birthday. My teeth are rotting because of pain meds and I have no way of paying for them to be fixed.. some are now are in my smile line and the idea of loosing teeth there destroys me. My extended family wanted me to join them on Christmas day except for the fact it would be just breakfast as they want to visit their significant others family (not to mention it's a 4 hour round trip for me on public transport on a public holiday), and I can barely function as I'm suffering from tinnitus and vertigo at the moment on top of my usual health issues. I'm struggling to get through to the rest of the year. I've been reaching out via text message to my closest friend - but he's been avoiding me. My other friend just doesn't believe how bad my mental state is; despite having her own issues with depression and suicide. Every year is another year where nothing is achieved and my "bucket list" is further away from ever happening. Even on the rare occasions I'm out socializing; people avoid me. I seem to just repel people. Having had years and years of people leaving me, it's not like I haven't tried - organizing parties at my place; inviting friends out for a girls night out etc... no one ever bothers returning the favor. No one checks up on me. My online friends only respond to me messaging them - and even that's not a guarantee of a reply. I'm tired of struggling with no support. I'm not living, I'm barely surviving. .. it's like I'm not even here. And I'm sure it wouldn't matter if I wasn't because people in my life just don't seem to care! And it's not like I have anything keeping me here - no partner, no kids, no pets. . Nothing at all.

There is no room in my life for me anymore

replies: 4

I am a wife, mum of two (2+4), and I work 2 jobs. I struggled a lot with becoming a mum. I'm certainly not a naturally maternal person. I am independent, I love learning, I'm smart (probably the only thing about myself I am confident in), and I like to achieve goals... So when my days were reduced to changing nappies and getting small people to sleep ... I was not in a good way. I felt like my whole identity got ripped away. Anyway, as soon as I fell pregnant with the first, my husband totally lost interest in me sexually. That hasn't changed. I could count on one hand how many times we've been intimate in the last 6-12 months. He struggles with what I am 99% sure is ADHD. He is very carefree (to the point of not noticing massive dangers sometimes) and I am quite risk averse... Which obviously causes some tension in regards to the kids. Prior to kids it was never really an issue - because his decisions didn't really impact anyone else... But now they impact the kids, and I won't not advocate for what I think is best for the kids... So tension often follows - as does the trope around me being "irrational" "impossible" "crazy" "insane" etc etc. Don't get me wrong, we have fun times too. And I love my husband... But having kids has made things impossible. It's gotten to the point where if I raise ANYTHING that he disagrees with he will start the "I can never do anything right" script. I inevitably have to become the fun police (a role I hate being forced to play), and he reiterates how "exhausting" my "negative energy" is. I have had these kids, and I don't like mothering. I'm not good at mothering. They've wrecked our marriage. They destroyed my body so no one else will love me. I can't leave, because I can't bear the thought of someone else raising them... So I'm just stuck. I'm stuck living this hollow life where I can't even advocate for my kids and do the best I can as a mother (which is already not great). I just feel totally trapped. I feel like I'm shouldering the responsibility on my own.I feel like the only way out of it all is to leave permanently. I don't want this anymore I don't want to be here anymore.

Mental health and depression

replies: 1

I've been feeling like this because of my depression my depression has been playing up so many days of the week I have been not for a focus in class it makes me very tired

Don’t want to wake up

replies: 1

I don’t know what to do. Nothing helps, and I’ve been to many different therapists, been on every antidepressant/mood stabilisers, psych ward, hospital, you name it. All since age 14 and I’m almost 26. Recently been told by a trauma therapist that I have CPTSD. I have so much trauma and trust issues that I just isolate and don’t go anywhere. Especially since I had to move back with family due to my flatmate that put me in danger. Gave up alcohol, just ended up depending on other substances. Trying to sort EMDR but I honestly have no hope. Every day I beg the universe to please just let me go.

My son attempted suicide

replies: 5

Hello, the other night my 18 year old son attempted to take his life. This is his third suicide attempt that I know of. He says leading up to the episodes he hears voices in his head. They make him scared and he runs. The voices seem to be triggered by alcohol and/or a fight with his ex-girlfriend who he can’t let go of. She taunts him, takes him back one night, then ghosts him the next. Last weekend, he caught his friend in bed together which triggered the latest attempt. She sends nudes to her ex, then takes my son back into her bed. He took a job in another state and looked forward to a new start, but she followed him there. I have just driven hours to bring him home. He can’t see what she’s doing to him and still loves her. It’s like he’s obsessed. What’s worse is the times he feels the strength to make a break from the ex, he gets messages from her sister. He’s on depression meds but we are organising a psychiatrist to review him and re-think meds/diagnoses. I wonder if anyone has experience in how to cope with this kind of thing?

Benign Fasciculation Disorder - Hopelessness

replies: 14

Hi I'm Cindy and I am posting in here because I didn't know where else to post this. I am suffering from what I believe is Benign Fasciculation Disorder. It is an unknown disorder with what looks to be no treatment or no recovery (it will either go away, or it won't). It's a 'harmless' disorder that consists of twitching of the muscles 24/7. It might not be considered harmful but it is mentally draining, annoying and prevents me from sleeping at night with non-stop twitching. I've had this for 7 weeks now, insidious onset. No idea why it started. Doctors can't help me. I've had blood tests and my blood levels are fine. I am not Magnesium or other minerals deficient. They don't think it's MS or ALS. They say I'm 100% healthy. Doctors perscribe muscle relaxants to 'stop' the twitching at night but I'd rather not take them as they cause addiction, depression and other unwanted side affects. I have no idea if Anxiety, physical activity, stress etc causes it or if it just 'does it'. Some days it lets me sleep at night, other times it doesn't. I live day to day in fear of whether or not I'm going to get a good night's sleep. If I feel a twitch I panic. If I don't get a good nights sleep my mental health drops. I become hopeless and have thoughts of suicide. Hopelessness being "well no-one knows what it is, no-one can cure me, I might be like this forever. No one knows, no-one can relate, there's no hope, what's the point?" I'm trying Physio at the moment but even the Physio can only guess. I'm doing all these exercises which I think are not helping. They are just causing twitching in other areas of my body that I didn't have before. Now I have back discomfort from it. Yes it stopped a bunch of twitching in the knee area of my thigh, but now other areas of the same thigh are twitching. I'm here to find out if there are others with this condition and if so, what do you do at night to help you sleep through the twitching? I can deal with it throughout the day but not at night. I need to sleep!

I won’t hurt myself but I want to

replies: 1

Over the past three days I’ve been having trouble with my girlfriend I’ve been with her a year now and she has made me so happy until she only recently mentioned that she had slept with someone else at the beginning of the relationship which I had since forgiven her from as she stayed up all night explaining herself to me 3 days ago I found out that she had been talking to around 10 other guys that had all asked her for nudes or made sexual comments about her and I confronted her about this I told her how much she had hurt me and her response was that she had no idea that I would have a problem with that and that it was normal she has been talking to me all day today but nothing at all on the first day I’m really struggling and I need some help coping

I don’t know what to do

replies: 2

I recently turned 20 and I have been spiralling since, worrying about growing older, what i’m going to do with my life, scared of ending up alone. I just can’t imagine feeling like this for the rest of my life and i have been thinking about suicide a lot lately, i dont think i would ever do it because i have lots of siblings and I would never do anything to hurt them, but constantly thinking about wanting to be dead is so draining, but i truly do not know how to help myself. I feel like such a loser, go to work, come home, rot in bed playing videos games, repeat, I feel like im not doing enough. I try and eat enough food, i tried to exercise, i tried meditation and positive affirmations and I just end up slipping back into old habits. Im a broke uni student, i live at home but i pay for my own necessities, i cannot afford to regularly see a therapist.

Do you have a safety plan? replies: 97

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

Schizophrenia replies: 2

How to cope following an attempt? replies: 7

I hate this time of year & everything about my life replies: 251

There is no room in my life for me anymore replies: 4

Mental health and depression replies: 1

Don’t want to wake up replies: 1

My son attempted suicide replies: 5

Benign Fasciculation Disorder - Hopelessness replies: 14

I won’t hurt myself but I want to replies: 1

I don’t know what to do replies: 2