Suicide

None of the peers at the PPD/TMS Peer Network are qualified to help in cases of suicidal thoughts. Therefore, we must direct you seek professional assistance.

Suicide is never the answer - getting help is the answer. If you are having suicidal thoughts and/or have attempted suicide before, you can find help, hope, comfort, understanding, and support through the extensive resources listed below.

Volunteer Emotional Support Helplines & Suicide Hotlines

United States

Toll-Free / 24 hours a day / 7 days a week

National Hopeline Network:
1-800-SUICIDE
1-800-784-2433
www.hopeline.com

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1-800-273-TALK
1-800-273-8255
www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

Deaf Hotline: 1-800-799-4TTY (4889)

Additional resources can be found at suicidehotlines.com

International

SAMARITANS: 08457 90 90 90 (United Kingdom) 1850 60 90 90 (ROI)

Canada

Befrienders Worldwide: Find a suicide helpline near you

International Federation of Telephone Emergency Services (IFOTES)

What to Expect

Who Are The People Answering The Phone?

• Imperfect humans who genuinely want to help you
• Many of them are volunteers
• They may have different experiences with depression
  • some may have family members and close friends with depression
  • some may have had a family member or close friend commit suicide
  • some may have no personal experience, but just want to help
• Education and training levels will differ
  • some may be training to become a doctor, therapist, or other professional in the field
  • many or most will have had special training or certification
• All of them are there to help you overcome suicidal thoughts
  • They are there to listen to you
  • They are there to talk with you
  • They can direct you to treatment in your local area
• They may not always say the right thing
  • ...but they are there to help show you that there are people who do care whether you live or die.

If You Are Considering Suicide

If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, you should know that you’re not alone. By some estimates, as many as one in six people will become seriously suicidal at some point in their lives.

Some important facts from The American Association of Suicidology:

• Suicidal thinking is usually associated with problems that can be treated. Clinical depression, anxiety disorders, chemical dependency, and other disorders produce profound emotional distress. They also interfere with effective problem-solving. But you need to know that studies show that the vast majority of people who receive appropriate treatment improve or recover completely. Even if you have received treatment before, you should know that different treatments work better for different people in different situations. Several tries are sometimes necessary before the right combination is found.
• If you are unable to think of solutions other than suicide, it is not that solutions don’t exist, only that you are currently unable to see them. Therapists and counselors (and sometimes friends) can help you to see solutions that otherwise are not apparent to you.
• Suicidal crises are almost always temporary. Although it might seem as if your unhappiness will never end, it is important to realize that crises are usually time-limited. Solutions are found, feelings change, unexpected positive events occur. Suicide is sometimes referred to as “a permanent solution to a temporary problem.” Don’t let suicide rob you of better times that will come your way when you allow more time to pass.
• Problems are seldom as great as they appear at first glance. Job loss, financial problems, loss of important people in our lives – all such stressful events can seem catastrophic at the time they are happening. Then, month or years later, they usually look smaller and more manageable. Sometimes, imagining ourselves "five years down the road" can help us to see that a problem that currently seems catastrophic will pass and that we will survive.
• Reasons for living can help sustain a person in pain. A famous psychologist once conducted a study of Nazi concentration camp survivors, and found that those who survived almost always reported strong beliefs about what was important in life. You, too, might be able to strengthen your connection with life if you consider what has sustained you through hard times in the past. Family ties, religion, love of art or nature, and dreams for the future are just a few of the many aspects of life that provide meaning and gratification, but which we can lose sight of due to emotional distress.
• Do not keep suicidal thoughts to yourself! Help is available for you, whether through a friend, therapist, or member of the clergy. Find someone you trust and let them know how bad things are. This can be your first step on the road to healing.

DISCLAIMER: The TMS Wiki is for informational and support purposes only and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendations. See Full Disclaimer.