NOTE: If you are in immediate danger of harming yourself or ending your life, please dial 988 for the national suicide prevention hotline.
Suicide is a major health concern in the United States, resulting in almost 46,000 deaths in 2020 across all age groups. Suicidal ideation, is a wide-ranging term that describes various notions, desires, and obsessions with death and suicide. Dealing with suicidal ideation – from understanding its triggers to treatment options – is difficult for clinicians, researchers, and educators due to its broad representations and the resistance many patients exhibit in being open and honest about their suicidal ideation.
Stress, anxiety, depression, and relationship problems are all correlates of suicidal ideation. As the obsession grows and persists, loss of sleep, trouble eating, and drifting further away from family members, friends, and others are all typical results. Fortunately, there has been a significant breakthrough in treating suicidal ideation in the form of ketamine therapy.
Ways to Cope with Suicidal Ideation
Besides overcoming suicidal ideation, an essential first step is recognizing the warning signs of suicide in you or someone else. Signs and symptoms may include:
- Talking about suicide
- Talking about feelings of emptiness, loneliness, and no purpose in life
- Feeling trapped with no way out
- Agonizing emotional or physical pain
- Talking about being a burden to others
- Self-isolation
- Getting personal affairs in order, giving away personal belongings, and making a final goodbye
- Risky behavior
- Anxiety, agitation, or anger
Having thoughts of suicide doesn’t mean your life has to end. There are ways to overcome suicidal ideation, including:
- Learn to solve problems. Suicide isn’t the only way to solve your problems. Try keeping a journal where you can write down a list of all the troubles in your life. Then, make a list of practical solutions. Are any of them worth pursuing? Rely on a trusted family member or friend to bounce your ideas off for feedback. Take things in small measures, focusing on one or two minor problems for immediate relief and a little breathing room. Afterward, you can start tackling more significant issues. The Antidepressant Skills Workbook may be helpful.
- If you’re having suicidal thoughts, think of the reasons your life is worth living: People contemplating suicide do so to create an escape from pain, but they don’t always want to die. Low feelings encourage you to remain focused on the negative in your life, making it preferable to consider suicide as an option. But you do have reasons to live: loved ones, cherished pets, faith, personal and professional goals, dreams, or responsibilities to others that provide them with reasons to live. Remind yourself of them because they can be a powerful antidote to suicidal ideation. Write them down.
- Remember something from the past that helped you overcome suicidal thoughts.
- Engage with someone you trust, like a family member, friend, or a therapist, who provides the comfort level needed to talk about what’s bothering you and how to solve it. Sometimes just discussing your feelings can help, but it’s important to be open and honest. Keeping a suicide plan to yourself is the wrong way to go. Talking can bring relief, build trust, and reduce a sense of isolation.
- Do the reverse of how you feel. If thoughts of suicide bubble up, do the exact opposite of what you’re feeling or thinking of doing.
- Reach out to a trusted family member, friend, or anyone else who can provide counsel.
- Research the cause of your feelings. What’s going on?
- Be open to diverse ways to resolve your problems.
Final Thoughts
If you’re depressed, have other mental health or medical problems, or face stressful personal difficulties and are contemplating suicide, there is help. By talking about your thoughts, emotions, and behavior, professionals can accurately assess your needs. Many other helpful resources are available, too, including local faith-based and community support groups and national organizations like the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and many others.
For those seeking treatment, ketamine therapy is an unparalleled option. Ketamine has been shown to drastically reduce the symptoms of suicidal ideation in as little as one session. Ketamine allows you to form new thought patterns and heal from old ones. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you find relief from suicidal ideation.