What are suicidal feelings?
Suicide is the act of intentionally taking one’s own life. Suicidal feelings can mean having abstract or concrete thoughts about ending one’s own life or feeling that everyone around you will be better off without you. There could be certain preparatory behaviours also indicative of someone thinking about suicide; giving away personal belongings, writing a goodbye note, getting things you may need to take your own life. Experiencing thoughts of suicide, can be a very confusing and frightening experience at the same time, leaving the individual quite overwhelmed.
Suicide is the act of intentionally taking one’s own life. Suicidal feelings can mean having abstract or concrete thoughts about ending one’s own life or feeling that everyone around you will be better off without you. There could be certain preparatory behaviours also indicative of someone thinking about suicide; giving away personal belongings, writing a goodbye note, getting things you may need to take your own life. Experiencing thoughts of suicide, can be a very confusing and frightening experience at the same time, leaving the individual quite overwhelmed.
What does it feel like to be suicidal?
Everyone experiences suicidal feelings differently. One might feel unable to cope with the difficult feelings they are experiencing. Often people describe it as ‘not wanting to live anymore’ instead of ‘wanting to die’. This use of sentence explains the confusing state that people find themselves in when experiencing thoughts of suicide. These feelings could build over time or could come up quite suddenly as well and it is common to not understand why one feels this way.
Everyone experiences suicidal feelings differently. One might feel unable to cope with the difficult feelings they are experiencing. Often people describe it as ‘not wanting to live anymore’ instead of ‘wanting to die’. This use of sentence explains the confusing state that people find themselves in when experiencing thoughts of suicide. These feelings could build over time or could come up quite suddenly as well and it is common to not understand why one feels this way.
How you might think or feel:
- Hopeless – like there is no point of living for the future
- Extreme overwhelm caused by the negative thoughts and feelings
- Unbearable pain that does not seem to go away with anything you do
- Useless – feeling like a burden to self and others
- Desperate and helpless – like there is no other choice left for you
- Feeling like others would be better off without you
- Numbness – feeling dissociated from self and life overall
What you may experience:
- Poor sleep hygiene; extreme changes in sleeping patterns
- Changes in appetite; weight gain or loss
- Self-neglect or lack of desire to take care of yourself; not showering or brushing your teeth etc
- Social avoidance; not wanting to see others and isolating yourself in the process
- Preparatory acts; writing a will or giving away personal possessions
- Lack of communication; struggling to share with other how you might be feeling
- Low self-esteem and self-confidence; could lead to self-loathing as well
- Thoughts of or actual self-harm
How long will I feel suicidal?
Suicidal feelings/ thoughts could last for a varying amount of time for different people. A common theme across those who have thoughts of suicide is the feeling that they will never be happy or hopeful again. It is common to feel as if you'll never be happy or hopeful again. It is important to note that with treatment and support, most of the people who have felt suicidal at some point in their life, do go on to live healthy and fulfilling lives. Like any other health or mental health concern, the sooner one seeks support, the quicker one can get support to overcome the difficult thoughts and feelings. However, people can still find it difficult to open to others about their experiences for several reasons.
- You may want others to understand what you're going through, but you might feel:
- That you will upset them by sharing such information
- Unable to trust someone and be vulnerable
- Unsure who to share it with or have no one to share it with
- Concerned that they might not understand it or dismiss it
- Fear of judgement from them
When one experiences all these difficult thoughts and feelings, they may feel that this will be a permanent feature of their life. However, most people who have experienced this, report that things have improved for them, and they have found motivation to live again. It's important to remember that you deserve support, you are not alone and there is support out there.
If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, take them seriously and seek help immediately. Encourage open communication, offer a listening ear, and connect individuals to professional help. Early intervention and support can make a significant difference in their well-being.