TW: suicide, mental illness
Its suicide prevention month!! so here r ways to cope w suicidal thoughts. psychologists recommend all of these and a few have helped me and others i know

try to open up to someone: this sounds so obvious ik but its so important. talk a friend or family member u trust and are comfortable with about the position ur in. it helps so so much to let it all out and have a support system

focus on something: having a certain hobby or goal makes u want to stay alive till u achieve it. mine is ironically psychology! whenever i get suicidal thoughts i try to remind myself that if i leave i wont get to help others or that i still have so much to learn about the topic.

its such a small thing but it does make a huge difference.
research about ur condition: now i recommend getting professionally diagnosed but not everyone can do that. self diagnosing should be the last resort but sometimes it is needed. finding out

what illness u r lets u know that this isnt permanent!! ure ill and things DO get better. so try to remind urself that. try to tell urself that circumstances will improve whether it’s tomorrow or in a year it WILL happen. ure so strong for being who u r and never forget it

if u do self diagnose, please do it properly. research as much as u can from trusted websites and ask others who have the same illness u possibly have. heres a trusted site w tests that properly diagnose u https://screening.mhanational.org/screening-tools#:~:text=Online%20screening%20is%20one%20of,And%20recovery%20is%20possible.

pick up old habits: remember the things that truly made u happy and start doing them again. u mightve lost interest in them but the familiarity of it does help and it reminds u that ur life can improve (ive never tried this but alot of ppl including professionals recommend jt)

getting treatment: if u cant go to a therapist and get professional help for whatever reason, try 7 cups which offers online free therapy. SuperBetter is also helpful because it helps u build a more positive mindset and rewards for completing healthy exercises.

i personally use reflectly which is a sort of online journal. it helps u comprehend ur feelings and record the things that usually make u feel worse so u can avoid them and the things that make u feel better. i recommend it!

disclaimer: listeners on 7 cups are not all professionals however they are trained. they all offer group support chat rooms which help alot

i realize these arent alot of tips but they do help! feel free to add anymore and i rlly hope this helps atleast one person

please know im always here for anyone. my dms r open to anyone who needs a support system. if u prefer to call we can houseparty or smth literallt anything just know im genuinely here!!

this thread is so long omfg