One of the common myths about suicide is talking about suicide can encourage suicide. But talking about suicide can help to reduce stigma around it and encourage people to seek support. There can be several reasons behind suicidal thoughts such as depression, anxiety, loneliness, life stressors, loss of loved ones and many others. However, a person with a support system and resources can deal with suicidal thoughts, but it can become difficult to utilise these resources when a person is feeling vulnerable. Hence, preparing a safety plan for the times one is feeling vulnerable can help a person to reach out to their support system and use their resources.
What is a safety plan?
A suicide safety plan is a personalized plan to keep a person safe when one has suicidal ideation. This safety plan includes different strategies, coping methods, a list of activities and things to be done when a person has suicidal ideations.
A person can involve other people in the safety plan. People one can include in a safety plan are those who are close to them and can help; such as a counsellor, family members, close friends.
When a person has suicidal thoughts, it’s unlikely for them to think about coping strategies or safety plans in that situation. Hence, one needs to prepare a safety plan in advance when they are not feeling vulnerable or thinking about suicide. When you are making a safety plan; write it down on a paper and store it at a safe place where you can find it easily when needed. You can use your phone for keeping your safety plan, in case you are not at home or for times when this written plan is not accessible. Here are elements we can add to a safety plan.
1. Make your Environment Safe
Remove danger from your environment- If you have thought of methods to harm yourself, then remove all the means which you are thinking of using to harm yourself. These could include any sharp objects, medicines, harmful or poisonous chemicals. You can ask someone to keep it away from you or lock it somewhere so that it will not be available easily when you are thinking of harming yourself.
2. Identify the safe places
You can make a list of places you feel safe in, this could be a place in your house or any other place. You can keep things which can soothe you or calm you at your safe place. Some people find stuffed toys, a stress ball, warm blanket soothing in stressful situations. You can identify a public place where you feel safe like a garden, mall, library or compound of your building.
Try not to be alone. Go out in public places. Going out in public places can help you to create some distraction from suicidal thoughts. A person is less likely to harm themselves in a public place.
3. Reach out to people
Even if you don’t want to talk to anyone in the situation, remember that there are some people can support you and want you to be safe. It can be helpful to identify people who can support you at this difficult time. Reach out to someone who won’t judge you or argue about the way you feel. There are people who can listen to you with compassion and acceptance. It can be difficult to think about who to reach out to in an instant. Hence, you can keep your list ready beforehand.
Prepare a list of people who you consider as your support system:
Prepare a list of professionals in case you would need urgent help:
4. Make a list of things that help in distracting yourself
Make a list of activities that will require focus and will help in distracting from unpleasant thoughts and relaxing. Here is a list of some distraction activities.
5. Coping Toolbox:
You can make a coping toolbox and keep it at your safe place. In the coping toolbox, you can put things that can distract you from suicidal thoughts and help you feel calmer. You can put letters, cards, notes given by your loved ones to you, photographs of your family, friends, your favourite book, your journal, a list of inspirational quotes from your favourite book or movie, your favourite perfume or essential oil.
Remember, these thoughts are not permanent and will go away. We can work towards managing the overwhelm they bring by using a safety plan.
By Shamal Jaykar, a Counselling Psychologist based in Mumbai,
who works with The Alternative Story.