Suicidal Feelings
January 07, 2022
This article covers:
- What are suicidal feelings?
- What causes suicidal feelings?
- Mental health and suicidal feelings
- With whom or where to get help?
What are suicidal feelings?
Suicide means ending your own life.
Suicidal feelings are ideas of wanting to end your own life or that the world would be better off without you. It could also mean that you have thoughts and ideas about specific methods you can use to end your life.
Some signs that you might be having suicidal feelings can include:
- Constantly feeling worthless or useless
- Constant thoughts about your own death
- Feeling extremely down or depressed
- Self-harming
- Not seeing how things could possibly get better
- Loosing interest in daily life
- Being tearful and overwhelmed by negative thoughts
What causes suicidal feelings?
Suicidal feelings might be experienced when you are faced with difficult emotions or situations, and it is hard for you to see any way of things getting better. However, many people have also felt this way and were able to come out of it with hope. This means that you can too.
Your life matters, I know it’s difficult to remember that when you’re struggling, but its true. Reach out, talk to family, friends, doctors, teachers, anyone – you deserve to be happy, and you’re not alone with your emotions.
Roan- Mindsum Peer Support Worker
Some factors that can increase the risk of suicidal feelings can include:
- Existing mental health issues
- Socioeconomic issues (e.g., money problems, homelessness)
- Bullying and discrimination (e.g., among LGBTQ+ community, refugees, migrants)
- Social isolation
- Loosing someone by suicide
- Stressful life events (e.g., relationship breakup, abuse, domestic violence)
- Long-term physical pain or other health problems
- Addiction or substance abuse
- During pregnancy or after childbirth
- Involvement with the criminal justice system (e.g., prison)
- Previous attempts of suicide
Research continues to show that men have higher rates of suicide compared to women.
Mental health and suicidal feelings
Suicide itself is not a mental disorder. However, people with mental disorders are at a greater risk of experiencing suicidal feelings and behaviours. These mental health disorders can include:
- Depression
- Bipolar disorder
- Psychosis
- Schizophrenia
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Eating disorders
- Personality disorders
These mental disorders can cause a person to have intense difficulties with their thoughts and emotions, which can get overwhelming and can lead to difficulties in thinking clearly or to a sense that there is no hope. The person might then experience suicidal feelings.
If you are having thoughts and feelings about suicide, it is a good idea to get support as soon as possible. The earlier you talk to someone, the earlier you can get some relief from those feelings. You might not be convinced that anything can help, but it is better to try to speak to someone you trust about what is going on. You might even be surprised at how helpful this can be.
Music and poetry were big parts of my recovery, I know it’s not a long-term solution, but reminding yourself of the things you love is so calming in the moment when you’re really struggling, the littlest things could make all the difference, there’s nothing too small as long as it helps.
Roan- Mindsum Peer Support worker
With whom or where to get help
If you are feeling unsafe because you want to hurt yourself, this is a mental health emergency. Please call 999 as soon as possible or go to your nearest Accident and Emergency department.
Talk to someone you trust and let them know how you’ve been feeling. You might do this by letting a trusted adult know what is happening. This might include a friend, your teacher, school counsellor, parent, or a medical doctor.
Talk to your GP. They will be able to give you support (e.g., prescribing medication) or they can refer you to specialist services that are appropriate for what you need (e.g., talking therapy). If you do not have a GP or you’re not sure what to do, you can call the non-emergency NHS 111 helpline.
Working with a mental health professional can help you to tackle the cause of why you might be having suicidal feelings. You can learn valuable coping skills that can allow you to have long-term relief from these difficult feelings and find hope for the future. You might also develop what is called a ‘crisis plan’ with a professional, which will include certain steps you can follow when you are feeling suicidal.
If you are not currently experiencing a mental health emergency, you can book a free initial consultation with a qualified mental health professional through our online service.
You can also contact available helplines such as The Samaritans, HOPELINEUK (for anyone under 35 years old experiencing suicidal feelings), Childline (for under 19s) or The Mix (for under 25s), for support by people who are willing to listen and help you.
Useful resources
NHS
You can find practical advice about what to do if you are feeling suicidal on the NHS website. Click here to access the link.
Young Minds
You can read and access resources about suicidal feelings on the Young Minds website. Click here to access the link.
Mind
You can read and access useful resources about suicidal feelings on the Mind website. Click here to access the link.