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Real Student Stories

Picture of a student Meet Tomas

Picture of Tomas story archive >> '; document.getElementById('storyimage').src='images/anna100.jpg';">

Picture of Anna After a tough childhood in the Ukraine, Tomas was suddenly moved to the UK as a teenager and had difficulties relating to his new stepfather and adapting in school. Depression led to a suicide attempt and has affected his studies... more > >

Also in "Tackling Depression"...

“It wasn't long after the time I thought I was going to kill myself and didn't, that things began to get easier. I started to set myself small goals and these were my main ways of coping. I would want to survive to the next day so I could see such and such a friend. I would want to survive to the evening so I could watch a television programme. I would want to survive so I could see the doctor the next day. Setting myself these small tasks gave me motivation, a reason to keep myself going, however hard it was. Sometimes it felt impossible, but it really did help.” Ben

“Talking to somebody who had had the same experience as me was undoubtedly what got me through my suicidal thoughts. To be able to talk to someone who's gone through it and knows exactly how you feel, even if it doesn't solve your problems, is just tremendously comforting because you no longer feel alone.” Becky

Students Against Depression
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Surviving Suicidal Thoughts

Have you made specific plans? Might you act impulsively on your thoughts? It is vital that you GET HELP NOW!

Go straight to the crisis page...

Needing relief from pain

Suicidal intentions are prompted by a desperate need for relief from intensely painful feelings. Surviving suicidal thoughts is about learning how to find relief without resorting to suicide.

A risky habit

Simply having suicidal thoughts does not mean you will act on them. However, the habit of repeatedly thinking about suicide is a risky one. Repetition brings a sense of falsely comforting familiarity. It dulls the instinctive recoil from danger.

Though it may be difficult, hold on to the belief that there ARE ways to resist depression and find relief.

Strategies

Make a commitment to yourself
Challenge the self-bullying habit and make a commitment to taking care of yourself as best you possibly can for the moment.
Reduce the risks
Protect yourself from impulsively acting on your thoughts by putting dangerous objects out of immediate reach. Preferably give pills, weapons etc to someone else for safe-keeping, but even putting them in a locked or inaccessible place makes it a little harder to act impulsively.
Tell someone how you're feeling
Tell someone else how you are feeling and get appropriate help. You may need to challenge yourself about what's stopping you getting help. Be prepared for non-professionals to be shocked by what you tell them, and don't expect a "perfect" response - it is always better to make human contact than to stay isolated and alone with your thoughts.
Check medication side effects
Be aware that some anti-depressant medication can increase the risk of suicidal thinking, especially when you first start taking it. Also, when the medication first starts taking effect it can increase your energy and motivation before improving your mood, increasing the risk of acting on suicidal thoughts. Talk to your doctor about the risks and be extra vigilant with other strategies for keeping yourself safe.
Check alchohol and drugs
Both alcohol and drugs tend to reduce your inhibitions and make it more likely you could do something you will regret the next day. Check your alcohol/drug consumption and try to cut down. Try not to drink alone or to end up alone after drinking.
Give yourself small goals
Each evening set yourself small tasks or goals for the next day. It can be something as simple as watching a certain TV programme. Or set yourself another task as soon as you have completed one. Just knowing you can still do things you set for yourself despite feeling low can help combat depression.
Minimise time spent alone
Depression and suicidal thinking thrive in isolation. Try to minimise time spent alone in your room - take work to the library, ask friends to be with you at vulnerable times, make plans ahead for weekends and other lonelier times, generally work on building your support networks.
Understand some of the reasons for suicidal thinking
Because suicide is such a taboo, you may not be aware of how common it is for people to think about suicide and of the various general reasons for suicidal thinking. Read about making sense of suicide and assess your own suicidal thinking habit to identify which are relevant to you.
Identify depressed thinking habits
Suicidal thinking is the ultimate all-or-nothing thinking habit, and the culmination of other habits of depressed thinking which intensify the depression habit spiral. Learn how to challenge depressed thinking.
Start breaking the suicidal thinking habit
We can't stop thoughts from entering our heads, but we can stop actively inviting them in. Try to stop using thoughts of suicide as a barometer for how bad you are feeling. Use distraction techniques (see focusing outward) when you notice thoughts about suicide bothering you, or practise other techniques for challenging depressed thinking.
Work on rebuilding meaning in your life
Depression works to drain assumed meaning out of life and challenges us to take responsibility for making our lives meaningful. Challenge the cynicism or perfectionism which may be preventing you from embracing hopeful or constructive ideals and goals for your life.