If You Are Having Thoughts of Suicide
Calm, practical steps for when thoughts of suicide arrive: crisis lines, what to do in the next hour, a simple safety plan, and how to help someone else.
Get help now if you notice
- Making a plan to end your life, even a vague one. Call your local emergency number now
- Preparing to act, such as getting things ready or putting affairs in order
- Saying goodbye to people, in person, in messages or online
- Giving away possessions that matter
- Feeling unable to keep yourself safe, even for the next few hours
The short version
- If you might act on thoughts of suicide, call your local emergency number now. In the US and Canada, you can call or text 988 at any hour.
- Thoughts of suicide are common in deep pain. They rise and fall, the worst moments pass, and help works.
- In the next hour: tell one person, put distance between yourself and anything you might use, go where other people are, and call a line.
- A short written safety plan, made on a calmer day, gives you clear steps to follow when thinking is hard.
- If you are worried about someone, ask them directly. Asking about suicide does not put the idea in their head.
If you are reading this in a hard moment, start here:
- If you might act on thoughts of suicide or self-harm: call your local emergency number now.
- US and Canada: call or text 988, any hour.
- UK and Ireland: Samaritans, 116 123, any hour.
- Anywhere else: findahelpline.com lists free lines by country.
Thoughts of suicide are common when pain gets too heavy to carry. They show how much you are hurting, not who you are. These thoughts rise and fall, the worst moments pass, and help works.
What to do in the next hour#
You do not have to fix your whole life tonight. You only have to get through the next stretch of time safely. These four steps help most, and you can do them in any order.
Tell one person#
Pick one person and tell them how bad things are. A friend, a relative, a neighbor, a coworker. You can keep it short: "I am not okay. I am having thoughts of ending my life. Can you stay with me for a while?" Saying it out loud takes some of the weight off. If no one comes to mind, a crisis line counts as that person.
Make your space safer#
Put distance between yourself and anything you might use to hurt yourself. Ask someone to hold onto things for a while, move them out of reach, or leave the room they are in. This matters because the strongest urges often last a short time. Distance buys time, and time lets the wave pass.
Go where other people are#
Being alone makes the thoughts louder. Go to a room where someone else is. Sit in a coffee shop, visit a friend, or stay on the phone with someone. You do not need to talk about anything. Being near people is enough for now.
Call or text a line#
You do not need to be in a certain state to call. Feeling overwhelmed is reason enough. If speaking feels impossible, texting works too. The numbers are at the top of the page, and they answer at any hour.
What to say when you call#
Many people stay silent because they do not know how to begin. There is no right script. Any of these openings works:
- "I am having thoughts of suicide and I am scared."
- "I do not know why I am calling. I just cannot keep going like this."
- "I need someone to talk to for a few minutes."
The counselor will listen. They will ask how you are and whether you are safe right now. Then they will help you think about what to do next. Answer as openly as you can. They are not there to judge or lecture you. If talking feels too hard, say so, and let them lead.
Build a simple safety plan#
A safety plan is a short written list. You make it on a calmer day and follow it on a hard one. Crisis services, including the 988 Lifeline, recommend one, and the parts below match the plan they describe. A therapist or doctor can build it with you in one visit. Keep a copy on your phone and one on paper.
| Step | What to write | An example |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Warning signs | Thoughts, moods or situations that come before a crisis | Not sleeping, pulling away, feeling like a burden |
| 2. Things that help | Small things you can do alone to calm down | A walk, a shower, music, slow breathing |
| 3. People and places | People and places that take your mind off things | A sister, a friend's kitchen, the library |
| 4. People to ask for help | People you can tell when it gets bad | Two names and phone numbers |
| 5. Professionals | Your doctor, your therapist, the nearest emergency department | Names, numbers and an address |
| 6. Crisis numbers | The lines for where you live | 988, Samaritans, your emergency number |
| 7. A safer space | How you will put distance between you and anything you might use | Who will hold things for you |
Work down the list in order. If one step does not help, move to the next. Some people add one more line at the bottom: a reason to stay, even a small one. A pet, a person, a plan for next week.
What treatment looks like afterwards#
Once the crisis eases, the next step is to see a doctor or mental health professional soon, ideally within days. Thoughts of suicide usually grow out of something treatable. That might be depression, anxiety, trauma, alcohol or drug use, grief, or a crisis that has piled up.
Treatment usually includes some of these:
- Talking therapy. Some therapies are built for suicidal thoughts, such as cognitive behavioral therapy for suicide prevention and dialectical behavior therapy.
- Treatment for what lies underneath. This may include medicine. A doctor will explain the options and what to expect.
- Regular follow-up, especially in the first weeks, when support matters most.
- Practical help with what is crushing you, such as money, housing, work or relationships.
What I see in clinic#
The moment people describe most often, looking back, is the moment they told someone. Many say the thoughts felt permanent at the time. Then they changed. That is what I most want someone in the middle of it to hear.
Ongoing care between visits#
Between appointments, a few steady tools can help. Two minutes of guided breathing can take the edge off a hard evening. Repeating the mood check every few weeks gives you something concrete to bring to your doctor, so you can both see whether things are moving. Keep your safety plan updated as you learn what helps.
How to help someone else#
If you are worried about someone, you do not need special training. NIMH describes a few simple steps.
Ask directly. Say the words: "Are you thinking about suicide?" or "Are you thinking about ending your life?" Asking does not plant the idea. NIMH notes that studies show asking does not increase suicidal thoughts or behavior. It tells the person they can be open with you.
Listen. Do not argue, lecture or rush to fix it. Something like "That sounds unbearable. I am glad you told me" goes a long way.
Stay. If you are worried, do not leave them alone. Help them put distance between themselves and anything they might use.
Help them connect. Call or text a crisis line together. Help them book an appointment and offer to go with them.
Follow up. A message the next day, and the day after, matters more than people think.
If your friend is in immediate danger, call your local emergency number now. Stay with them until help arrives, if it is safe for you to do so.
The bottom line#
Thoughts of suicide are a sign of deep pain, and they are common. They come in waves, and the worst moments pass. Tell one person, make your space safer, go where people are, and call a line. Then get treatment, because it works, and many people who once felt this way go on to feel very differently.
Should this go to a doctor?
Three honest answers, a plain answer back.
If you are not safe right now
If you might act on thoughts of suicide or self-harm, call your local emergency number now.
- US and Canada: call or text 988, any hour
- UK and Ireland: Samaritans, 116 123, any hour
- Anywhere else: findahelpline.com lists free lines by country
Common questions
Is it normal to have thoughts of suicide?
What happens when I call or text 988?
Will I be put in a hospital if I tell my doctor?
Does asking someone about suicide put the idea in their head?
Will these feelings ever go away?
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