What to do if you are alone and thinking about suicide.

[Lara]

What to do if you are alone and thinking about suicide.
~Taken from "A Reason to Live" by Melody Beattie

Sit down and breathe deeply. Breathe deeply again and again.

Turn on the lights or open a door or window.

Pick up the phone and call a friend, even if you have to call collect. Talk to the operator if you don't have strength to dial the number.

Say your name out loud. Say your friends' names out loud. Repeat and combine these names with your name.

Cry, even if it means weeping bitterly. Scream; "God, why am I in such despair? Why did you do this to me? Tell me why."

Pray. Say: "God, help me. Please give me a reason to live."

Touch yourself. Feel the rapid beating of your heart.

Turn on the television, radio, or stereo.

Close your eyes and think about The Wizard of Oz or chocolate ice cream or giraffes.

Get out a photo album and look at the pictures of your family and friends.

If you have a pet, pick it up and hold it tightly.

When you have the strength, get out from where you are. Go to the movies.
Go to the shopping mall. Go to a neighbor's or a friend's house. If you are afraid to drive, run as fast as you can for as long as you can.

Get yourself to where there are people.


[Just posting this again and giving thanks to a friend of mine who posted it here once before.]

____________

National Hopeline Network:
1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433)

[JAVISI]

Lara,
Thank you for the post! I lost someone very close tome from suicide!:( Sometimes we do not realize how many people love us and care for us until it is too late. I feel so bad for his wife she is getting the blame. She had no control over what he did. I hate the blame game! All it does is hurt people that are hurting already.

Unfortunatly it is a permanant solution to a temporary problem:confused: . Thanks again for the post. I will admit I have thought about it, and I think most people have at one time or another in their lives. This just may save someones life!;)

Dreaming Big and Reaching for the Stars, Javisi:)

[Lara]

Hi Javisi,
How're you doing? I'm so sorry to read about the loss of your friend and I'm also very sorry to hear about the man's wife. She would be going through such a terrible time and having to deal with other people blaming her would be unbearable I would imagine. She needs all the support people can gather.

I thought the ideas in the post might come in handy for someone. Not all of the ideas would suit everyone but even if just one of them made a difference it's worth having it posted again I think. There comes a time in most people's lives when there seems to be no hope, no vision, no future. I call it being in the hole and the times when it felt like that for me were often the times when I would actually go out of my way to avoid people, whereas in reality it's much better for me to have make some contact as it can help me drag myself out of the hole even if it's inch by inch. Gosh, it has been so long since I felt that way. I thank my lucky stars.

I also think that when someone is in that hole as I call it, it's hard to get organized to get really practical solutions put in place and it's at that time that sometimes we have to force ourselves to ask someone else for help. The thing is, especially when there is illness and pain, it really isn't so easy to find the resources or find the organizations or associations where people have the training and the ability to sort out some of those practical solutions that go to make our lives more comfortable and more happy and keep us out of those holes.

I'd better stop rambling now. You take care there.

[Buttons2]

Thanks for posting this. I refer to it as the "black hole". When this has me in a tight grip I just let it go......it will pass in a day or two. In fact I've begun to keep track of these episodes on my calendar,see if perhaps there's a pattern of some kind?

I adopted a dog to keep me going! He needs me and I need him!

It's been over 38 yrs since my suicide attempts (twice in 3 mos) when I was pregnant with my second son. Last attempt I spent 3 days in a pysch ward,came very close to success on that one. Nobody ever helped me with counseling,therapy,etc. I was married to a psychopath,very abusive,no family around,very dark time in my life. To this day my family has no clue how depressed I have been in the past - much less the present!

We all have to just hang on, nobody can predict the future! As long as there is life-there is hope!
Buttons

[Lara]

(((Buttons)))

[Digikitty]

thanks for posting that...sometimes, I think its my dog who I love that gets me thru these dark periods..

[mama sue]

"Black hole", is right. You are all uch an inspiration to me. Thanks

[Buttons2]

Sue, even though everyone has family & friends in their lives (well,hopefully anyway!), depressed people can't always "care" about them. Whether they see them everyday or only occasionally the depression can be hidden. It's fairly easy to fake a smile or pretend everything is OK. It's done to avoid any questions or interference.

We know we feel crummy but we don't want anyone to be aware of this!

In Bob's case he was letting it be known, he was calling & he was making previous attempts at suicide. I suspect he only did this when he was drinking,and not sure if he just chose you to bear the burden of frustration or if he also included others.

I never threaten suicide to anyone. If I ever give up it will come as a shock to those that know me (or think they do anyway).

I have family & friends that would be devastated if I did this. But that wouldn't be a deterrent. Why? Cause I'd be in the pit so far that nothing & no one would matter. It's not cause you don't love the people in your life,it's cause you simply cannot continue with your own demons that have total control over you. EVERYTHING is a negative. You simply cannot function. You cannot see your life ever improving. You might even rant at God for not saving you from all the despair you constantly feel. Maybe you've tried drugs & counseling to try to get out of the pit,perhaps they worked for awhile,but then this can reverse (as it did with me when had been on Zoloft for a couple of years).

Last spring I was in the black pit. Barely functioning,had given up on ever getting my life back to normal,free of pain & mental issues. I was so angry at the medical professionals & family/friends that treated me like a hypochrondriac! I was using unconventional treatments......which as it turned out were the best thing I'd done for myself in years! No doctors were helping me.

Since I was able to walk fairly normal & finally had some energy days & my thinking was clearing up I decided I could adopt a big mutt that nobody wanted. He'd barely survived a Pit Bull attack at the shelter. He needed somebody to give him a chance! And I needed a reason to keep going!

So I've now had this dog for 16 mos. There have been days when I cannot walk him in the woods & I feel guilty about this. There are days when I can't play with him,days I don't brush him. But everytime I look into those big brown eyes & his rather unappealing face I know he needs me. I tell myself that he's certainly better off than he was! I do the best I can. He's too much dog for me & too much of an expense but it's worth it! He has no idea he's been my savior!

I got him to be my physical therapy,to force me to walk everyday even when it hurt too much,and this has been the case. I'd never owned a dog before that I was 100% responsible for. And I have no control over him,he's like a giant puppy & very strong. He could easily knock me over or hurt me. But somehow I think he knows the limits,he'll come running at me full force & then stop in his tracks right next to me. And I do take precautions,there's a very steep concrete stairwell by the back door,I always make sure he's on the stair side of me!

Somehow having him around keeps me from giving up,I don't want to leave him alone! Mind you there are other pets in the household but he's the one I connect to the most. And it goes both ways,he sticks to me like glue!

When you feel up to it I encourage you to visit a local shelter,find an animal to take home & love. I promise this will be something positive! And I truly hope that Bob didn't leave any pets behind......if so they will be mourning his loss also.

HUGS Buttons

[mama sue]

{{{Buttons}}}
Sweet friend~ Bob and I have four pets and I have them all, yes they do miss him terribly!!!

I am so sorry that you have such feelings of despair. How can I be a friend to you? You are VERY important to me and I want to be here for you.

You have shared your heart with me and I am so thankful everyday. I can't pretend to know where you are coming from. I've had my own heartache that I thought I could never get through, but my faith in God has kept me here. My faith has kept me reaching for the help I need to make it through yet another day. Sometimes another minute.

How long have you had these thoughts of suicide? Friend, you are loved and you need to KNOW that. Your sweet puppy needs you, but so do the rest of us. You have much to offer and a heart of gold. Please feel free to talk to me ANYTIME. I don't know how I can help, but I can listen.

{{{HUGS}}}
Love Sue

[Buttons2]

Sue, don't fret about ME! I'm doing OK right now. Whenever I get in the pit I just let it overwhelm me & know that tomorrow it will be better! And trust me on this, I would never let down my BT friends.....if perhaps you don't get a reply from me for a day or so it's because I'm busy or just have too many threads to answer!

If my computer ever clunks out I'll get another one! BT is my lifeline! I may not be able to function out in the real world but I'm satisfying my need to help others & I'm an information junkie so internet was the best thing that could have come my way!

Some people are magnets for pulling in info & sharing with others',this has been so for me my entire life. Now I just have a larger circle to embrace!

You might get a kick out of the pet therapy forums,sometimes there are pictures there to bring a smile. Or stories of our pets & how much they help us to survive. I won't ask about yours on here....I'll wait for you to share with us so others' can join also.

I will add that I'm relieved to know you have pets to care for,that gets you out of bed & functioning if nothing else! And if you saw Rags (my dog) you'd find it hard to imagine him ever being small enough to be a puppy! There are pics of him on Pet Therapy posted by crytears......probably dates back to this spring sometime?

Lara, how is your husband doing? Better I hope!
HUGS Buttons

[Sparkle]

"Once upon a time I was falling in love,
but now I'm only falling apart."

[Lara]

Buttons wrote:
Lara, how is your husband doing? Better I hope!

Hi Buttons,
thanks for asking but I think you meant to address this question to someone else. I haven't been married for a very long time. lol :D
How is my ex-husband doing? He'll always think he's perfect and everyone else has something wrong with them. Same olde same olde I guess. lol :rolleyes:

Sparkle wrote:
"Once upon a time I was falling in love,
but now I'm only falling apart."

Sparkle! What's happening? You alright there?

[Buttons2]

Lara, there was a gal on this forum from Australia,her husband is a cop & was going through deep depression......well just writing that word makes me realize that it was the Depression forum-duh! I better try to track her down....

I'm on too many forums I think!:rolleyes:
Buttons

[Sparkle]

Doing ok, Lara.
Hope all is well with you!

[Lara]

Buttons, I hope your friend's hubby is doing better.
Sparkle, that's good to hear. Yes, I'm plodding along here as usual. I do notice that time seems to rush by faster as I get older though. :)