First five minutes
- If you might hurt yourself, call emergency services now or go to the nearest emergency department.
- Move away from anything you could use to harm yourself, or ask someone else to hold it.
- Contact one person and say: I am not safe on my own right now.
What it can feel like
- Wanting the pain to stop rather than wanting life itself to end.
- Feeling numb, trapped, ashamed, exhausted or unable to see another way.
- Thinking nobody would understand if you said it out loud.
Why it can happen
- These thoughts can appear when distress, depression, trauma, isolation, grief, shame, pain or crisis becomes too heavy.
- Having the thought does not mean you are broken. It means you need support and safety now.
What can help
- Stay near another person or in a safer public space until the intensity drops.
- Delay any action. Give yourself the next ten minutes, then the next ten.
- Use urgent support even if part of you thinks you are not serious enough.
Free support options
- UK: call 999 for immediate danger, Samaritans on 116 123, or text SHOUT to 85258.
- Outside the UK: contact your local emergency number or national crisis line.
Important note
This guide is for education and signposting. It cannot diagnose you or replace care from a qualified professional. If you feel at risk, seek urgent local help.
Keep exploring this safely
These connected guides may help you understand the next layer of what you are feeling.