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.
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.
I have things in my safety plan like watching Netflix, keeping busy, going for walks and eating as healthy as I can. I also now have a therapist who I feel quite comfortable with but it is early days.
My safety plan was working reasonably well until a major assessment was looming and my anxiety began outweighing everything. I did pretty well in the assessment and initially felt quite good but today I feel like I have crashed emotionally and the safety plan is not really helping.
I have been self harming a lot over the past few weeks and can’t stop. I know it is not healthy and not normal and potentially dangerous but I keep doing it. My therapist knows I have been self harming but I could not share how I self harm with her.
I hate myself for being so weak and hate that I can’t move past this period in my life.
We are so sorry to hear what you are going through, it sounds like things are so overwhelming right now. However we think you are really brave for being able to open up to your therapist about what has been happening. This is a safe space to express yourself, and our wonderful community is here to provide you with as much support, advice and conversation as you need. We're also currently getting in touch with you via email.
If you feel it may be helpful to talk through some of these thoughts and feelings with a counsellor, we would recommend getting in touch with the Beyond Blue Support Service. They are available 24/7 by phone on 1300 22 4636 or on Webchat 3pm-12am AEST on our website: www.beyondblue.org.au/getsupport
We hope that you keep checking in to let us know how you're going, whenever you feel up to it.
For the first time in my life I actually wrote down my safety plan using the BeyondNow app. I guess I've sort of had a plan for years but it was never written down. I'm going through a really difficult time with unwanted thoughts of SH at the moment and I'm finding it helps. Thank you for making this.
I really feel for you reading your post.
i can relate to some of the feelings you bring up - feeling upset about some of the behaviours, silmutaneously i can see in the post that you ARE really trying to connect and seek help. Step by step, I hope you feel safer to share with the therapist and I hope you receive support and care you deserve. I'm always happy to listen if you feel you would like to write more about your struggles.
Well done, really for putting down the safety plan through the app. That's great that you have done that.
I am thinking of putting my safety plan up in my apartment (might be weird if someone comes to visit...) -- but I thought it might help me as sometimes I don't even find the energy to source it in my apartment, and go over it.
I thought I might put it up in a place I often walk by.
It's handy to have, for sure
hi ktac sorry i'm bit embarrassed, i'm going on very little sleep, I meant to respond to your post and Janes, and seem to have morphed it into one post. Sorry i am a little bit of a mess. The last part was for Jane. x
The question about triggers is a good one; I think that's a really hard thing to find. Is there anything that gives you an idea that you are going into a bad headspace? Something that you start doing/feeling/ something that happens? Maybe that could be something like 'I sleep more than usual' or 'I'm drinking more' or 'I'm not eating/eating too much' - it might not always be big things but it can be a little flag that maybe something isn't quite right.
I'm really glad you were able to look over your safety plan and add to it! It doesn't really sound like it was an easy job but I hope future you will thank current you for all of your persistence!
I also love the idea of having a letter from your case manager. Hippy or not, it sounds really special. I understand if you're not really 'internalising' the compliments (I struggle with that too), but being able to read them over and over again can really help. They are all true.
I read about something the other day and it reminded me of you so I thought I'd share it - hopefully it can help anyone else reading this post too. It's called a feelings thermometer - and it kind of works in the same sense of a pain scale of how much this hurts, with 0 being a-okay and 10 being absolutely not okay.
It was actually designed for kids but I think you and I and everyone can adapt it for us and what we are coping with. By checking in with ourselves often, we can see where we are at on the scale - if we get to a 5, what are the things we can do to help us not get to a 6? i.e. call Beyond Blue, journalling, play a game, listen to music, do some exercise, ring a friend. If we get to a 7 or 8, maybe then we can look at our safety plan and follow that, and if we are a 9, maybe then we have to call places like Lifeline or a friend or the ED. I'm thinking that this might help because then we can think about it and refer to it during the day. It's not exactly the easiest thing to look at our safety plans if we're in the middle of dinner or work, but we can always always always check in with ourselves and see what we might need.
I really appreciate that you were able to share with us that you've been self-harming, and I'm glad your therapist knows even just a little bit.
I want to let you know that self-harming doesn't make you weak. Yes you are right in that self-harming can be dangerous and not healthy, but honestly I feel like it is a completely understandable coping strategy for when you are in so much pain.
As someone who has self-harmed before, I've learned that this is just one way to cope. Right now, it might feel like the only way to cope - but it's just one way. and while others might disagree with me very strongly here, I actually think that it's part of being a totally normal human that we try and find ways to cope. I think the same about suicide too - it might not be the best option, but it is one way to cope with all of our enormous pain.
I hope that you'll find it in you to share more about what's happening with your therapist. They are there to support you through all of this.
For me it’s out of character when I am in touch with people. I also don’t let people into my life / head much, so my partner doesn’t really know what’s going on. I guess that’s weird. My therapist & psych can & will contact my partner since my last attempt when they see the need. And that’s where I get stuck now, because I don’t like people ‘talking behind my back’ so I don’t want to talk to them anymore. I understand that it’s all about keeping me safe, but I can’t, and I don’t even know what I can’t. I couldn’t control what happened to me when I was young and now I don’t want to give that control away. I have it cemented in my head. I don’t want to be controlled and if I want to make a decision, I want to be able to make it. I know it’s not helpful but even on a good day I struggle to let anyone have a tiny bit of control over my life (and death). Whenever I argue the point I can see that they don’t understand and then there are all these rules and it makes me feel like people are taking my freedom away. It’s really hard to explain. I sort of get it in my head sometimes, but still it feels utterly wrong to me for other to interfere in my life. So I know what not to say to others when I’m unwell, and that’s not really helpful I guess.
Hey Yggy, we're glad to see you back on the forums.
We understand the hurt and frustration you feel at the thought of your therapist or psychologist contacting your partner without your consent. We also understand wanting to have control and wishing others would trust your judgement. However, it can be hard to think clearly when you're feeling suicidal and so it's important to discuss these thoughts and feelings with others.
Have you considered talking about your experiences with our Support Service? our mental health counsellors can offer some support, information and referrals: www.beyondblue.org.au/getsupport or 1300 22 4636.
In addition to this, there are always counsellors available via phone for your most difficult moments. Some of these 24/7 services include Lifeline on 13 11 14 https://www.lifeline.org.au/Get-Help/Online-Services/crisis-chat (online chat available 7pm-12am) or Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467.
Please check-in and let us know how you are whenever you feel up to it.
