Report: What Colleges Should Know About Teletherapy and How to Pick the Best Telehealth Vendor for Your Students
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By Katie Hurley, LCSW
If you are having suicidal thoughts or have had suicidal behaviors or a past suicide attempt, it is really important to create a safety plan to help you anytime you are really struggling or feel unsafe.
A safety plan includes a list of resources you can access when you have suicidal thoughts, but it can also include affirmations, instructions for how to reframe your thinking, and a short list of things that give you hope on good days.
Check out this template for creating a safety plan.
When you feel supported and calm, write down a few affirmations to repeat to yourself when you feel low. These may include phrases like:
Write down this reframing exercise:
Add a hope list, which can include big things, such as events you’re looking forward to, or little things, such as day-to-day activities that make you feel positive.
A safety plan can be stored in your phone to share with someone you trust when you have suicidal feelings. It can feel overwhelming to share these feelings as they’re happening, but showing your safety plan to someone who can help is a good way to get immediate support and help.
The most important thing to know is that there is help and hope available. It may feel scary to say “suicide” out loud, but, when you do, you will discover you are no longer alone and you can find your way forward to feeling better.
If you or someone you know needs to talk to someone right now, text, call, or chat 988 for a free confidential conversation with a trained counselor 24/7.
You can also contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741-741.
If this is a medical emergency or if there is immediate danger of harm, call 911 and explain that you need support for a mental health crisis.