Immediate support
Immediate support

Suicidal thoughts and self-harm

This space discusses suicide and self-harm. Consider limiting the time you spend here. To use the section safely, read the pinned discussion.

Start a discussion

FAQ

Find answers to some of the more frequently asked questions on the Forums.

View the FAQ

Forums guidelines

Our guidelines keep the Forums a safe place for people to share and learn information.

View the guidelines
Jump to
Start a discussion

Pinned discussions

Sophie_M Do you have a safety plan?
  • replies: 96

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 wi... View more

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

Sophie_M 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 h... View more

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

Start a discussion

mydopecat Depression and Terminal Illness
  • replies: 6

Hi everyone, 38F here living in Brisbane. Im looking to connect with others around the same age for support and chat etc. I've always struggled with mental health (depression, anxiety and much more), but 5 years ago was diagnosed with the same diseas... View more

Hi everyone, 38F here living in Brisbane. Im looking to connect with others around the same age for support and chat etc. I've always struggled with mental health (depression, anxiety and much more), but 5 years ago was diagnosed with the same disease that killed my dad, his mum and his brothers. If I let it go till the end I have about 15-20 years, but by then I'll be a vegetable so will seek suicide/self assisted in around 5-10 years depending. Recently been very depressed and thinking of suicide despite being on a cocktail of meds for support. Would really love to connect with those that can offer and support or friendship I believe in God. Thanks and peace to you all

Ghouligan Not wanting to exist
  • replies: 4

Hi I've had depression for a few years now and been taking meds for it for 2 years. Have had attempts of suicide before but this time it feels different. I'm not particularly feeling sad or miserable whenever I think of wanting to die I just genuinel... View more

Hi I've had depression for a few years now and been taking meds for it for 2 years. Have had attempts of suicide before but this time it feels different. I'm not particularly feeling sad or miserable whenever I think of wanting to die I just genuinely think if I die nothing much will change, it's just the end of MY existance. I know people will be affected by it and I feel bad about it;that I can cause that much grief if I decide to off myself. But I just really think that I don't have a purpose or any ambitions, there's enough people in this earth already. So if I die I don't think much will change except for the people that knew me. I know these all sounds really monotone or that I'm having an existential crisis. Believe me I've had an ongoing crisis since I've been aware of my existance. I just wanna know if I'm the only one who thinks like this or if there's others out there who's had thoughts like this.

Matthew 2 Depressed and suicidal
  • replies: 3

I’m 24, I’ve just lost my job, (I’m a Journalist, an honest non-biased one) thanks to someone I held very dear to me. My Uncle (and Aunt, his wife), has in these two weeks just past, literally ruined my career, my reputation and so on. My Uncle is ac... View more

I’m 24, I’ve just lost my job, (I’m a Journalist, an honest non-biased one) thanks to someone I held very dear to me. My Uncle (and Aunt, his wife), has in these two weeks just past, literally ruined my career, my reputation and so on. My Uncle is accusing me of fraud, he is spreading lies about me, claiming I stole upwards of $10,000.00 off of my OWN GRANDMOTHER! I would NEVER do such a thing, myself and my Nan have an extremely close relationship, a close bond. My Nan loaned me $5,000.00 (which I have paid back) however for some unknown reason my Uncle is claiming I’m a criminal, that I’ve committed fraud and so on. Due to his allegations, his threats of involving police, and taking me to court over something that literally never happened.. I’ve lost everything, he called my place of work and trash talked me, causing me to lose my job. He’s spreading lies about me within the family ect. He has ruined my life, I don’t know what to do, or where to go from here, I no longer have anything to live for. I’ve never been so depressed, anxious, angry and suicidal like this before! For some reason that I do not know, when I was younger, I used to have extremely bad panic attacks, until two weeks ago, I hadn’t really had one for 10 years, now I’m having them everyday, for some reason my hands won’t stop shaking, I don’t feel myself anymore, I feel helpless, which isn’t me, I’m usually a rather relaxed, happy-go-lucky guy, I usually help my family and Girlfriend out when they have problems with depression/mental health in general, with everything and anything. I don’t know, my thoughts are all over the place, I can barely hold a conversation anymore as I have so much going on inside my head. I’m getting distracted easily, which is a trait I never had. I have nothing left at all, no job, no money, a Family that is talking about me 24/7. I don’t know. All I can think about is how easy it would be to end all of this, by ending me. My Uncle and Aunt clearly hate me, so maybe more of my family members do as well, I don’t know why. My uncle has made all this, personal, I don’t know what I’ve done to him for him to be this way with me, as we were close, can he not stand the fact that I was succeeding in life? I don’t know, all I do know, is that they want me gone from this Family (for whatever reason I don’t know) so I might as well take myself out. It’s easy, I know how to. God I hate myself.

Jacqui51 Trying to stay positive but losing.
  • replies: 4

When down things seem to pile up. Two days ago I somehow managed to hurt my back. It is not great. Pain more than 6 when 9 is screaming. Have some analgesics and may take one tonight. Other analgesics are not working very well. Tomorrow seeing chirop... View more

When down things seem to pile up. Two days ago I somehow managed to hurt my back. It is not great. Pain more than 6 when 9 is screaming. Have some analgesics and may take one tonight. Other analgesics are not working very well. Tomorrow seeing chiropractor who has previously helped when I had hip and back pain. Still unsure about the next few weeks. I go back to work Tuesday. Hopefully it will distract me from everything. I am someone who finds a level of self worth through work achievements. I have been continually answering emails and doing a few bits and pieces while on leave but low level for me. I recently heard from my psychiatrist. Truthfully they are someone who seems to give a damn as third email while away. Much more than I have any right to receive. They tried to answer a question regarding the therapeutic relationship I had. Confusion in the answer for me. Oh well. Medication was mentioned. I suppose at some stage I should tell them that I have tapered off and no longer take any. Oops. Don't think this was on their agenda. Keep wanting to give in but hoping if pain eases this will also.

SweetChariot About to give up
  • replies: 4

I have been feeling quite depressed for some time and feel as though I am at my end of holding on to hope. Every day I cry multiple times and just don't want to be near anyone. I have never self harmed before but I feel myself over and over contempla... View more

I have been feeling quite depressed for some time and feel as though I am at my end of holding on to hope. Every day I cry multiple times and just don't want to be near anyone. I have never self harmed before but I feel myself over and over contemplating death and questioning if I would have the will power to die by myself. I just feel stupid and that I don't want to live this lie anymore. I don't think anything I am hoping for will come true and I don't know if there is anything I am still looking forward to. I wish I could be away from everyone. I don't want to keep waking up to this life anymore. I cant'.

AlostPosie Looser, Failure, Unworthy
  • replies: 2

Hi, Im feeling pretty shit atm. I am 51 I have 3 adult kids and been married 27 years. I am from a balkan family and so is my husband. We are old school and our upbrining is the balkan way. I am not one who is very out spoken and I dont argue cause I... View more

Hi, Im feeling pretty shit atm. I am 51 I have 3 adult kids and been married 27 years. I am from a balkan family and so is my husband. We are old school and our upbrining is the balkan way. I am not one who is very out spoken and I dont argue cause I dont know how to, I dont stick up for myself which has to do with my father always telling me that i was stupid and he even told me that I wasnt beautiful at the age of 18, he was trying to convince me to marry an import (25) as I will never find anyone. Anyway that all happened and then he hit me and I threw him out, (but he handled me and i said No but he never accepted No....so fast forward I am 51& I have been married for a long time but during my first pregnancy I think I left hubby like 6 times and over the years I have left many times but always have come back. Hubby was an ass and has been for a long time only recently perhaps last 2 years he has changed, I believe that he is a narcissist but I also believe I am weak, I cant stand up for my self over the years he has told me Im stupid over the years, he is on the disability pension so I am the bread winner of the family and for most of the last 20 years i have been as he was in a car accident. We live on rent as 14 years ago we lost our house due to bad business decisions and my husband blames me that i made mistakes. actually everything that goes the wrong way has always been my fault he has never accepted blame for anything. My kids can finally see how he has treated me but like i said just lately he and i have been great. We had pups and on my watch one of the pups died, I apologised as i didnt do anything and he is so angry at me, I told him this is why I dont look after pets, I am a failure cause everything i do in life goes to shit. I hate myself and I am a total looser I hate me. I just want cry all the time i just want to go to my friend house and sleep at her house. I work literally 3 doors down from where I live (Disability worker) I dont want to live anymore, Our relationship with our son is shit, My daughter is lying about what boy she is dating as her dad has rules of who she can date, I dont agree with my husband in so many ways that it causes arguments, every time I disagree with him, he says i am stupid and i answer like a `12 year old I say to him there is nothing no ones says it is stupid just a different opinion. I dont know if to leave I deeply love him but its always been the way he says. There is so much more to this marriage story i dont have enough room to write about it. I want to leave but feel sorry for him I want to leave but how would i live everything is in my name, rent, mobiles, electricity EVERYTHING I would feel bad because he wouldnt be able to survive without me.....:(

Giggyy scared to move back to old house where I attempted
  • replies: 1

hi, i attempted in my old house in my bedroom. after moving house i felt a lot safer as it was less easy/accessible to hurt myself - but we are moving back soon and i get badly triggered in that room, i am very worried that this may lead to a relapse... View more

hi, i attempted in my old house in my bedroom. after moving house i felt a lot safer as it was less easy/accessible to hurt myself - but we are moving back soon and i get badly triggered in that room, i am very worried that this may lead to a relapse how can i cope with this ??

F_55 I thought I’d be dead
  • replies: 9

Hi I don’t know what I’m doing. Sometimes I’m fine or I seem fine and it seems so silly to me to want to end things. But is it a lie? Am I fooling myself or pretending? Sometimes nothing feels real and then it comes flooding back, this happens legiti... View more

Hi I don’t know what I’m doing. Sometimes I’m fine or I seem fine and it seems so silly to me to want to end things. But is it a lie? Am I fooling myself or pretending? Sometimes nothing feels real and then it comes flooding back, this happens legitimately daily. Up and down like a yo-yo and I’m just so tired of fighting and feeling like crap. Feeling so alone and worthless, feeling that I am only a burden on people. Everything is hard and nothing ever stops the whirlpool from dragging me down again. And I swear, each time it gets harder to fight my way out of it. I feel like this the right choice for me. I’m fairly young but I’ve lived my life. I’ve loved, I’ve lost. I’ve had ups and downs. I’m full of a lifetimes worth of experiences and I’ve just come to my end is all. We all have to go sometime and I consider myself lucky to be able to choose when and how and leave some final words behind. There’s so many people who never even get that opportunity and I really just want to get off this merry-go-round.

jumpyjellyfish- so tired of everything
  • replies: 20

i haven't been on here for a while but been struggling a lot recently. ive been pretty much forced into recovery from an ed which is causing me a lot of stress and everything just feels really hopeless. i reach out the start of last year and started ... View more

i haven't been on here for a while but been struggling a lot recently. ive been pretty much forced into recovery from an ed which is causing me a lot of stress and everything just feels really hopeless. i reach out the start of last year and started going to therapy, it took me a while to open up but when i finally told my psychologist about my ed behaviours i got referred to somewhere else because she didn't treat eds. i still really wish i could just go back and see her because she actually helped me. where i got referred didn't help, was doing fbt there (cymhs, I'm under 18) and finally got offered individual therapy but then my treatment team there suggested i go on medication for anxiety depression and OCD (OCD which literally got 100 times worse after I stopped seeing my first psychologist). and my parents are against medication so now im stuck seeing a third different support person who I don't click with and don't want to talk to. all of this is making it really hard to abstain from self harming because I just feel so consistently overwhelmed with anxiety and intrusive thoughts and everything just feels like too much. ive also been feeling a lot more suicidal than i was because of all the stress. im safe, but the thoughts do get overwhelming when they steer in the direction of ways i could hurt myself. its not like i think i would even act on them ever really, i still hate the thoughts nonetheless tho. i wish i could feel better but i feel hopeless.

Annewithan-e Feeling like a terrible person
  • replies: 17

So I’m not in a great place. I’m fortunate to have a great psychologist. I have been working with her for a fair while now. I feel like I trust her but I’m still incredibly stuck, and freeze and space out in sessions. I have managed to discuss some t... View more

So I’m not in a great place. I’m fortunate to have a great psychologist. I have been working with her for a fair while now. I feel like I trust her but I’m still incredibly stuck, and freeze and space out in sessions. I have managed to discuss some things but on the whole I feel like a complete failure. I don’t trust myself or my own thoughts, and I feel like a hypochondriac or attention seeking drama queen. I think I’m making things up, or dramatizing it. I emailed and said as much last night. That I’m a bad person and I don’t deserve help. Its just that things aren’t clear or keep changing in my mind, and it was all so long ago - I never said anything, I excelled in so many areas, I was fine for so long, it just doesn’t make sense. now I’m in this spiral of what a horrible human being I am for acting like a victim and I just want to disappear.