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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eating and self harm struggles

replies: 1

hi there, im very new to the platform but was just hoping someone would be able to listen and make me feel like its not totally abnormal to feel this way, as the last year I've lost a lot of friends and feel quite alone. I struggled from 2022-24 and then seeked helps with medication and psychology consultation. I struggled from both very frequent self harm, anorexia nervosa, major depression and generalised anxiety disorder, however didn't seek help for a long time. 2025 while on medication the eating disorder was quietend signifcatly however the past 5 months, some unknown factor significantly triggered me and im back t the old anorexia mindset including daily purging and also extreme worthlessness stemmed from body image, causing frequent self harm again. the self harm last year was less as my parents knew and therefore they gave me very little breathing room to allow me to self harm. however, they dont know about this currents emotional turmoil and I dont want to tell them as they will take awaye my only coping mechanisms that are preventing me from ending my life (I have attempted in the past) when I couldn't use these mechanisms but they are unaware. I guess I was just seeking if anyone else has had similar struggles and what to do in my situation apart from talking to my parents. Ive tried sh prevention strategies but if I dont sh I move onto purging as it cannot be seen to my parents. Take care x

I really feel this is going to be my last year…

replies: 1

Greetings to the very little people who even bother to check up on my account…. But everything hasn’t gotten any better in my love life, friendships and family mostly because for how much I’ve fought and wished for the possible future I could share my love and passions with.. and it’s funny coming into this year I played a little game by the name of “Omori the dreamer” after the 4 plus years of isolation, dissociation, and the many scars I’d have inflicted upon myself…. all the messaging, symbolism and themes this game had to say especially for what the original had meant to me.. I can say even with all the abandonment and sexual abuse I’d had to go through the last 2 years I haven’t had a piece of media break me down like it did again 5 years ago for how much I hold to it personally.. but I feel for all my passions I hold for the things I love.. have just never been accepted and cherished by the people who I wished will love me for all I am rather then the doll they wanted. I’m alone and scared for what I’ll do to myself this year I just don’t want to go out like this…..

Help

replies: 2

I have struggled with mental health for many years. Have been medicated, which I've taken for years. I've tried going off it many times. However my family (wife of 35 years, adult children) can tell the difference between me on and off meds. The last few times, I've realised myself that I actually do need help. Due to recent physical and mental trauma I can't seem to get beyond feelings of despair, emptyness, worthlessness. I get through every day barely and I often think of ways to ease my pain I'm under the care of a pshycatrist and I'm worried if I tell him whats going on that he'll hospitalise me. This is something I don[t think i could cope with. what do i tell him?

Tired of fighting this battle.

replies: 211

I hope im ok to post as ive posted so often on other forums but im feeling very desperate lately. Im just so tired of fighting. I left a job i was in for many years last year. I have since had some part time work that didnt work out. Im lonely and going broke. I was desperate and called triple o last week only to be left to my own devices again. I may be going into a facility called parc a non acute inpatient service but that thought scares me. I dont know how much more i can endure. I hope every one is well and thank you for reading Brett

Parents supporting adult daughter with suicidal thoughts

replies: 2

We are parents of a 20yo daughter who is having a tough time with her mental health and opened up today for the first time saying she wants to end her life. The reasons for her grief and trauma are complex and I won't go into detail here. We are just... View more

I wanna go to heaven i don’t belong here

replies: 9

I don’t belong here i don’t belong here

Struggling to find the value in sticking things out

replies: 2

There is no point to my being here. I'm deeply unhappy and can barely remember I time I felt otherwise. My life has not been enjoyable, and due to my current situation, I cannot see that changing. Logically, I believe it will only get more difficult to manage. In addition, very few people seem to want me around either. I'm not popular at work- I barely talk to my coworkers and a few even seem annoyed with me. My therapist thinks I'm autistic, which would help explain why I find it very difficult to fit in. I suppose I just rub people the wrong way. Also, my family situation is problematic, worsening with time. Adding my personal issues to the mix would solve nothing and would simply exacerbate the problems. I have a few good friends but due to my mental health I've not been consistent with keeping in touch. I'm safe right now. Just hoping to hear from some people who have felt the same. And maybe someone can give me some advice: how can things get better if the circumstances can't be changed?

I can't justify my existence

replies: 7

Hi brand new here. Sorry for the instant dump. I've never actually written this out before and would like to know if I am alone with this. (might even feel good getting it off my chest) I have struggled existential dread for around 6 years (I'm 31). Every day I question my existence, it's like suddenly one day I woke up, and have been like this ever since. I'm not currently at risk of self harm or suicide but I feel a constant intrusive desire to no longer exist/die. I have a pretty stable life a good job in Aged Care, a supportive partner, and pets. However at work I feel entirely replaceable and find no inherent purpose in reality. My view on life and people is dominated by a timeline view, where I see everyone and everything as meaningless and destined for death. eg - I am watching a movie and I see the actors in the movie as 'working a job' and this is a part of something they did before they died. Feels like I am at a funeral and watching memoirs would be the best way to describe it. Same goes when I am interacting with anyone. I feel no connection + every interaction feels fake and scripted. Convinced I shouldn't exist because I was conceived through deception (Mum went off the pill for another centrelink baby, Dad tried to abort they split), making me constantly remind myself I was not meant to be here in the first place. I find myself hoping for accidental death in every situation, often subconsciously seeking out risks (going for a hike when a storm is forecasted) (walking at night in high crime areas). - Things like this, never actively trying to die, but introducing it into scenarios. I only remain here out of a sense of duty to my partner and pets. I struggle to plan for the future, whether it's tomorrow, next week or next year. Because I truly hope it doesn't come. I have seen psych's who have disgnosed me with quite the lot (Bipolor II, ADHD, Depression, Anxiety) and will continue to see them to push on, the meds they give me just make me tired and bored. So now I exist with the weight of the meds too. I get it though we are all going to die, so have fun in the meantime? That's the fix so I have been told. Whenever someone says something like that it feels so forced disingenuous that I can't accept that as an answer because none of this is not fun for me. Does anyone else feel this dread? I feel like I am losing my mind.

my story, hurting for 6 years now i am 18.

replies: 2

I’ve been struggling for a long time, even though most people never noticed, i was bullied and even after that i was sent back to the same primary and high schools as the same people who hurt me, that made me feel like my pain didn’t matter, like no one cared enough to protect me. At home i felt left out, i was talked about badly by my own siblings, misunderstood constantly, and blamed for things i didn’t do, no one ever asked if i was okay, no one noticed that i was fighting every day just to stay alive.At school, i failed my exams on purpose because I wanted someone to notice that i wasn’t okay, I didn’t know how else to show it. But even then, it was treated like a normal day, no one asked why.There were moments when words from my parents hurt deeply, things that stayed with me and made me feel unwanted and hated, overtime those words became my own thoughts, i started believing that everyone hated me and i didn’t belong anywhere.Living like this has made me feel exhausted, empty, and unsafe in my own body and home. Ive carried this quietly for years and its taken a serious toll on my mental health.Im writing this because i need someone to understand that, I didn’t choose to feel this way and i need help.

It here again

replies: 73

My depression is severe todayAdded to this is the loss of my girlfriendShe was my sole purpose in my lifeNow im back to suicide researchas I really dont want to live anymoreI have nothing to look forward to in this life and I feel too old to start over again.Death would be a welcome giftI know there is no purpose in suffering all the time and its madness to do soLast time I tried to end it I got so close to doing itI always felt it was upsetting I didnt succeed and today I regret trying to get better because there is no getting better.If people could understand what its like living like this then maybe they would understand me better.I try to be grateful for the last 8 years I had with girlfriend and the purpose it gave me but it doesnt stop the added grief ontop of my depression.The cavalry are not coming to save me and thats whats changed for me.I cant keep living for the sake of others wanting me to live.

Do you have a safety plan? replies: 97

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

eating and self harm struggles replies: 1

I really feel this is going to be my last year… replies: 1

Help replies: 2

Tired of fighting this battle. replies: 211

Parents supporting adult daughter with suicidal thoughts replies: 2

I wanna go to heaven i don’t belong here replies: 9

Struggling to find the value in sticking things out replies: 2

I can't justify my existence replies: 7

my story, hurting for 6 years now i am 18. replies: 2

It here again replies: 73