Understanding suicidal thoughts and feelings

Today is suicide prevention day. So I wanted to talk about suicidal thoughts so you have a better understanding of them and also things you can look out for in your family and friends or even work colleagues. Suicidal thoughts can affect anyone, they don’t discriminate.

In my last post I wrote about surviving a suicide attempt. With personal experience I wanted to share what it’s like for a survivor. Why did I want to? Well, if you’ve survived a suicide attempt it can make you feel very alone and I wanted to share that you aren’t. But also, I wanted to help others understand what it’s like.

So, what are suicidal thoughts/ feelings? Well, they are thoughts and feelings around taking your own life. They can range from being preoccupied by thoughts about ending your life or feeling as though people would be better off without you or to thinking/ panning methods of taking your own life.

If you’re feeling/ having thoughts about suicide you will probably be scared and or confused by these intense feelings. But, know your not alone if you are feeling this way. Many people unfortunately think about suicide at some point in their life.

So, what does it feel like to be suicidal? Well, it feels different for every individual. However, you could feel as though you are unable to cope with difficult and intense feelings. You might feel less as though you want to die and more like you can’t keep living the life you have.

These feelings can build over time or they can change from minute to minute. You may not understand why you feel this way and it is common not to fully understand so don’t worry about it.

How long can you feel suicidal? Well, just like the sorts of thoughts people can have it is unique. It can happen once or twice it for some they can become chronic and they learn to live with these thoughts daily, weekly or monthly. But please, if you struggle with suicidal thoughts regularly DON’T give up. You have no idea what is around the corner for you.

So what are some of the warning signs of someone struggling with suicidal thoughts? These are just some of the warning signs however some people may not display warning signs however most will.

• Hopelessness / worthlessness
• Negative thinking about ones self
• Isolation/ feeling alone
• Engaging in risky behaviours
• Drastic mood changes/ fluctuations
• Feeling like a burden/ inconvenience
• Talking about death frequently
• Talking about feeling suicidal
• Engaging in self harm

People that can help you when your feeling suicidal:

• Your GP/ doctor
• Walking into an A&E department
• Phoning 999/ 101 / 111 (uk emergency service numbers)
• Samaritans: 116123 (uk charity)
• Breathing Space: 0800838587 (Scottish charity) 

Becca