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How to make a suicide safety plan
A suicide safety plan can play a vital role in keeping you safe. Your safety plan will remind you of reasons to live and connect you with people and services who can help during difficult times.
A suicide safety plan can play a vital role in keeping you safe
A suicide safety plan can help you to cope when you are feeling suicidal.
Your safety plan will remind you of reasons to live, provide you with ways of coping, and connect you with people and services who can help during difficult times.
You can work with a trusted family member or friend, a counsellor, or a health professional to develop a suicide safety plan. It is helpful to involve the people around you, as they need to know how best to care for you and keep you safe if you’re thinking about suicide.
Try to find a time when you’re feeling well, calm, and clear-headed rather than when you’re feeling suicidal or distressed. Put your suicide safety plan in writing and keep it in a place where you can easily find it.
What should your suicide safety plan include?
Your suicide safety plan should include the following:
Information about when to use the plan. List the kinds of situations, thoughts, feelings, physical sensations, or other warning signs that may lead to you feeling suicidal.
A list of things you can do to help you feel calm and comforted. Think of soothing and calming activities that you can do when you’re feeling suicidal. Try to remember what has worked for you in the past and list those activities.
A list of all your reasons for living. It can be helpful to refer to this list when you’re feeling suicidal, as you can lose focus on the positive aspects of your life and concentrate only on the pain you’re experiencing. Your list can remind you of these positives you may have forgotten.
People you can talk to when you’re feeling suicidal. Include the names and contact details of trusted people you can reach out to when things get difficult. Put several people down so that you have a backup if the first person is not available.
A list of mental health professionals and services you can contact. Make sure to include their name, contact information, and available hours.
A plan of how you can make your environment safe. Think about items you might be likely to use to hurt yourself, and detail how you can remove or secure them. Your plan may also include avoiding things you know make you feel worse.
Emergency contact details that you can use if you are still feeling unsafe. List the name and address of your nearest emergency department or crisis helpline.
You can write your safety plan on paper, type it on your computer or phone, or use a free app like Beyond Now.
Creating your safety plan using Beyond Now
Beyond Now is a free app you can use to make a step-by-step plan to help you stay safe. The app helps you create a structured safety plan that you can work through when experiencing distress, suicidal thoughts, or crisis.
It can help you:
- Recognise warning signs.
- Create a safe space.
- Identify reasons to live.
- Turn to internal coping strategies.
- Turn to socialisation strategies for distraction and support.
- Reach out to trusted contacts for help.
- Reach out to professional contacts for help.
Beyond Now is designed to be used as part of your overall mental wellbeing and safety strategy. It is not intended to be your only form of support. Ideally, it would help if you worked with a health professional or support person to create your plan when you’re feeling calm and relaxed.
If you are in an emergency or at immediate risk of harm, please contact emergency services on triple zero (000).
How can I access the Beyond Now app?
Crisis helplines
Here are some helplines you can include in your suicide safety plan:
SuicideLine Victoria 1300 651 251 (Victoria)
Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467 (National)
Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (National)
Experiencing thoughts of suicide can feel isolating and frightening, but please remember that many people have found a way forward. Seeking support can help you heal and recover. Your life matters, and there are people who want to help you through this difficult time.
SuicideLine Victoria is a free 24/7 telephone and online counselling service offering professional support to people at risk of suicide, concerned about someone at risk, or bereaved by suicide. Call 1300 651 251 anytime.
If it is an emergency, call 000.
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