A person with suicidal thoughts may not always seek help, but it doesn’t mean that people with such conditions don’t need assistance. People who think of killing themselves possibly may not really want to die, but to stop a feeling of hurt or pain that they think can’t be overcome. If you’re experiencing suicidal thoughts, trying to keep them off of your mind could be overwhelming. You can ask for other people or professional’s help, and you don’t have to be alone on it.

Here are ways on how you can overcome these thoughts:

1. Ask for Help

If you think no one cares for you, then think again. When you’re at the verge of giving up on life, think about the people around you. You should know that people are there for a particular reason. Some may give you hardships and pain while others are there to support and bring joy to your life. Not everyone is out to get you or aim to make you feel miserable.

You can talk to any of these people if you’re having suicidal thoughts:

  • Support groups or professionals like psychologists at the Western Plains Psychology. These experts are trained and skilled to help you prevent or recover from your thoughts.
  • Call trusted persons and loved ones. No matter how silly you may think it is, calling and telling them what your thoughts are can help you unload. These people may even stay with you that night or day or will pick you up wherever you are.
  • Suicide hotlines. If you’re in need of an urgent support, a hotline won’t hesitate to assist you the best way they can. They are tasked to keep your safety in priority so calling them when your thoughts are deadly can help you from committing suicide.

If you let people in your life, good ones will come. But if you put a barricade around yourself, then people are more likely to move away from your life. So when you’re in need of talking to someone, do so. These people may be willing to help you if you let them be. Let them know what you’re thinking and how you’re feeling.

2. Find Distractions

When you find yourself thinking too much about suicide, it’s time to look for things to keep your mind out of it. Focus on something that you love or enjoy doing. Even if it’s just a simple or silly thing. It doesn’t matter what to focus on as long as the thoughts will take you out of your current state. To make it even more effective, write down the things you care about. This way, you’ll focus on finding the good things that can distract help you care for yourself.

For instance, you can think or do the following distractions to get rid of suicidal thoughts:

  • Watch a TV show with a comedy theme or even cartoons you find funny.
  • Read a book, newspaper, or magazines.
  • Listen to upbeat music.
  • Exercise or jog around your area.
  • Clean your house or flat.
  • Weed out a garden.
  • Go for a swim.
  • Go shopping
  • Go out of your house for fresh air.

3. Make a Safety Plan

Making a list of the positive things in your life or self can prevent you from committing suicide. Include the things that you did that prevented you from committing suicide. Keep it to where you can see it every day such as on your mirror or your door. And then make a safety plan of what you should do when you’re thinking about suicide. After which, talk about this plan to your psychologist or therapist so they can assess what needs to be included or removed.

If you want to start creating a safety plan, read on the following sample:

  • Read out loud the list of things that make yourself feel better
  • Look for distractions like going out to have some dinner at a nearby cafe, or asking a friend for a date, or go window shopping
  • Sleep for at least eight hours a night
  • Delay committing suicide for about 48 hours
  • Call someone when the 48 hours delay is over, and yet suicidal thoughts keep on persisting. Call your mother, father, or partner. If they’re unreachable, call other people close to you such as your sister, brother, best friend, therapist, or 911.
  • Go to a place you feel light or comfortable such as gym or cafe

Conclusion

Having suicidal thoughts does not mean it’s not preventable. If you trust and put your efforts into it, then you can prevent these suicidal tendencies. What’s important is to reach out to other people when you can’t take it anymore. Therefore, keeping these persisting thought to yourself won’t do you any good but will only push you to harm yourself.