Accessing Urgent Support
Warning : Content On This Page May Be Triggering
We don't often hear people discussing the need for urgent support. It's an uncomfortable conversation and many people avoid the topic. Sometimes for fear of judgment or shame at needing to access much needed help.
There has been a stigma for many years attached to words like suicide and suicidal ideation. But by having brave open and honest conversations we can support one another and remove the stigma. It's important to remember that a part of being human is to have and experience a wide range of emotions. At any given time in our life these negative feelings can become overwhelming. This can happen when life events feel too heavy or spiral out of our control. Support is out there.
Examples of overwhelming life events can be a bereavement, a relationship breakdown or breakup, struggles with sexuality or gender. As well as educational demands, financial difficulties, expectations from others and many other events that are often out of our control.
Suicidal thoughts are a warning sign that help is needed. With support a professional can listen to your fears anxieties and worries and help you make sense of difficult feelings. For some people those thoughts can sometimes lead to actions. It is important to inform your GP and seek professional help.
People can often feel helpless, hopeless and isolated. Many clients I have worked with over the years have also talked about feeling a burden to others. YOU are important and every life matters. Having someone to talk to can help. Whether that is in a room with a counsellor or texting support lines anonymously. Support can come via email, texting, telephone, groups or one to one help. The important part is to reach out. Reach out to as many people as you can and feel able to. No one should ever have to suffer alone. If you are concerned about a friend or family member please also reach out.
Help is there. I have researched to find a comprehensive list of support and will continue to add to this list regularly. Please feel free to email me if you have suggestions of helpful support links.
The link below is a comprehensive website full of phenomenal help lines and support links for those wanting help 24/7. I have also copied the comprehensive list below for those wanting easy access.
A website for those struggling with suicidal thoughts and those in mental health crisis. Online forums, chat, information and support.
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Campaign Against Living Miserably Help and support for young men aged 15-35 on issues which include depression and suicide.
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For anyone in N.Ireland who is in distress or despair. Immediate help on phone 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Face to face counselling can be arranged, also befriending, mentoring. Issues dealt with include suicide prevention, self harm, abuse, trauma, depression, anxiety.
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Confidential 24hr listening service to anyone contemplating suicide run by trained volunteers from Suicide Prevention Bristol
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Helpline providing a listening service, information, emotional and spiritual support from a Christian perspective
R;pple is an online monitoring tool designed to present a visual page on a user's device the second they are flagged as searching for a harmful keyword or phrase highlighted within the R;pple monitoring tool configuration. Keywords and phrases include any words or termnology which have been identified as displaying potentially damaging online content. The R;pple page is presented before harmful online search results are dsplayed, and act as an interception to enourage users to visit a mental health support page from one of our charity partners as an alternative to viewing harmful online results. R;pple aims to minimise the risks of the internet, while harnessing its potential for good, by encouraging users to seek mental health support.
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Helpline : 116 123 (free of charge from a landline or mobile)
Email : jo@samaritans.org
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24 hr helpline offering emotional support for people who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including those which may lead to suicide
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Helpline : 0300 1020 505 (Monday-Sunday 8am until midnight)
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Striving to reduce Shame, Stigma and Silence surrounding Emotional Health & Suicide. For children and adults who need emotional support, understanding, compassion and kindness.
A charity dedicated to delivering suicide awareness. Providing confidential help and advice to young people and anyone worried about a young person. Helping others to prevent young suicide by delivering a number of training programmes. Delivering online weekly mental health support sessions open and free to all young people.
Find out what we do to promote mental health awareness and end suicide.
The Mix is one of the charity partners on Here4You, a campaign fronted by Roman Kemp to help young people to seek support for their mental health.