Advice on dealing with suicidal thoughts

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Hey guys, I know there is a similar topic, but I am wondering if anyone has any practical real situation advice for times when you're overcome with suicidal thoughts.

When this happens I don't tend to think very logically, and I'm in danger of hurting myself or doing something I wouldn't normally do, and I was wondering if there was some practical method of dealing with this.

Like - do you write a list of positive attributes? Do you make tea? I'm at a bit of a loss here, I haven't before had bouts of suicidal thoughts that are so pervasive that they inhibit logical and reasonable thinking.

Recognize that you're agitated, and go find something to "work it off". I find exercise is + music (mp3 player) is especially good. Or go watch a movie or entertain yourself to take your mind off it.

Really the worst thing you can do is just sit there and stew in it and psyche yourself up over it. The point is to not drown all of your attention in those negative feelings.

I've never found anything that consistently helps when your mind starts down that slippery slope UNTIL I found this webpage:

http://www.metanoia.org/suicide/

And this statement:

“Suicide is not chosen; it happens
when pain exceeds
resources for coping with pain.”

People do not want to be dead when considering suicide, they want pain to stop. If you were on fire you'd jump into pirahna infested waters. Anything to put out the flames. You would deal with the other problem secondarily.

When most people are considering suicide, they've simply reached the point where the pain is too much and ANYTHING is better than whatever they're dealing with.

For some reason, just knowing that helps me. I have several times read through that page, been able to identify the source of the pain, and realized I don't want to die. I just need to find ways to ease the pain, even just a little. Just a bit - so it's at least tolerable.

Maybe at this time being Aspie really helps. When you read through that page you may feel your logical Aspie self agreeing and then getting busy finding alternative ways of coping.

Good Luck.

Thankyou both, very useful advice.

earthmom, your explanation is spot on; generally I am a very positive person, logically I would never consider suicide - but the mental pain can drive out rational thought.

3 things:

SLEEP! Keep your mind fresh. That helps.

Next, Exercise. It get's your blood flowing (in the good way). Use your anger, desperation, and frustration to push you harder and make you stronger. Or just relax and go at your own pace. Whenever I feel bad, I hop on my road bike and pedal until I feel better.

I used to be all kinds of messed up in a dark spot. Now I'm doing fine on cloud nine, if you get my drift (no drugs involved). I started drawing and that turned my life around. I got a hobby I could focus my thoughts on, and eventually take pride in. Everybody needs to feel SOME sort of self-accomplishment. That's just human nature. Sometimes our job or our studies don't provide that. Drawing provides that for me. Others find it through dancing, skateboarding, playing an instrument, writing poetry, performing magic tricks, racing motorcycles, DJing, whatever; just doing anything that takes skill and dedication. Getting the occasional compliment really makes me feel alive. (Memorizing TV shows & sport statistics is NOT a hobby, nor is playing videogames, so don't be a cop-out like those sukkaz.)

If it's due to pain, anxiety and being constantly overwhelmed, avoiding the things that make such would be a good start, and perhaps medication to lower your anxiety level may help (it probably will, but many people don't like medication).

If it's just there, concentrating on the thing you like and focusing intently on it might help.

Not meeting some expectation you have of yourself, not being able to do something you want to do, and/or recognizing that you'll never attain some goal that you want, can make someone depressed, and depression leads to suicidal ideation. Acceptance of who and what you are helps this I've found.

(I haven't really seen a time when the thought of suicide [and homicide] hasn't been in my mind.)

I think perhaps you are in a phase where you havent learnt to manage your life. I think we look at NTs, and what they are doing and it seems that if we just pushed a little harder we could create a similar life, but I think what is needed is careful consideration to how we live as we are so sensitive to stuff around us that overload is not hard to reach. That is where I am now, anyway. Trying to figure out what my life is supposed to look like, if not like theirs...

I agree with zen_mistress, see if you can offload some of your commitments.

I know I have difficulty with this and being a perfectionist I can not stand to offload commitments either, I want to finish what Ive started. But at least try to not take on new things.

I find talking to people about it makes me more suicidal as people tend to not understand and im left feeling more isolated and misunderstood.

reading some motivational books can take the edge off it or re reading an old favourite like 'feel the fear' by susan jeffers. You might like Thich Nhat Hanh, he is very cheering.

I feel very suicidal at the moment though so I cant give any more helpful advice, its very frustrating and hard to shift. As soon as i feel a bit less like doing it, I feel a bit more like doing it again.

*hugs*

I have not had any suicidal thoughts since my teens, but i remember something:

Find a meaning in life and work towards fulfilling it.

Stop thinking all together. The more you think the more you'll make yourself depressed. Well, I mean stop thinking about things that make you depressed. I used to be really depressed but now I spend my days trying to have fun and it's normally not too hard. I don't think most happy people think too much. Just keep yourself in a good mood.