• If you are in immediate danger of suicide or you think you might harm yourself, seek help immediately. You should:
  Call 999;
• Call Lifeline on 0808 808 8000;
• Get someone to take you to your local emergency department.

If you have suicidal thoughts, don’t try to manage it on your own. Remember thoughts about suicide are just that – thoughts.
You don’t need to act on them; they won’t last forever often they pass quickly. Many people who have had serious thoughts about suicide have said that they feel completely different only hours later. It is normal to feel overwhelmed and distressed during difficult times or when it seems that things will never improve – it happens to many people.

There are things you can do to keep yourself safe:
Seek help early/talk to someone
Talk to a friend or family member, see your doctor, or ring Lifeline or other counselling service.
Postpone any decision to end your life
Many people find if they postpone big decisions for just 24 hours things improve, they feel better able to cope and they find the support they need.
Avoid being alone (especially at night)
Stay with a family member or friend or have someone stay with you until your thoughts of suicide decrease.
Develop a safety plan
Come up with a plan that you can put into action at any time, for example have a friend or family member agree that you will call them when you are feeling overwhelmed or distressed.
Avoid drugs and alcohol when you are feeling down
Alcohol and many drugs are depressants and can make you feel worse, they don’t help solve problems and can make you do things you wouldn’t normally do.
See your local doctor or a specialist to discuss support or treatment
Discuss your suicidal thoughts with your doctor, talk about ways to keep yourself safe. Ask your GP or Lifeline about help for suicidal thoughts.
Set yourself small goals to help you move forward and feel in control.
Set goals even on an hour by hour or day by day basis – write them down and cross them off as you achieve them.

Finding help in your local area

If you are feeling suicidal getting help early can help you cope with the situation and avoid things getting worse.

After you recover from a crisis you need to do all you can to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

There are a number of sources of support in your local area. If the first place or person you contact cannot help or doesn’t met your needs, try another.

• Your GP: if you are not already registered with a GP, do so.
• Psychiatrists/psychologists: if you feel you would benefit from seeing one of these health professionals you first need to go to your GP for a referral and to discuss your treatment options. 
• Counsellors: you can also access counselling through your GP, or find details of services or call Lifeline on 0808 808 8000.