Suicide

Many many people have felt suicidal because of various setbacks and difficulties. Most do not go on to kill themselves. It really does help to speak to someone.

The following organisations offer support in the UK –

• CALM – the campaign against living miserably launched as a campaign aimed at young men.
• Samaritans – open 24/7 to provide support to anyone – see their website for other details of how to contact them online
• Maytree : a sanctuary for the suicidal. They offer a short one-off stay in a safe residential setting with the aim of restoring hope.
• Papyrus – the prevention of young suicide – they run HOPELineUK, to provide phone support.

There may also be many people you can talk to locally:

• Your GP or customer services for your PCT (Primary Care Trust – health services provider) should be able to provide you with current, local services.
• The national mental health charities are Mind, rethink and together. They may offer local groups depending on services in your area. (see our links page for a list of mental health charities and mental health NHS Trusts).
• If you are at school, speak to a teacher.
• Family and friends – if you find it hard to tell people close to you how you feel, you could start a conversation by saying you’ve felt like phoning the Samaritans.

For people bereaved by suicide:

• S.O.B.S. Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide was set up to support people bereaved by the suicide of a close relative or friend. They run support groups as well as offering a confidential helpline service.
• widowed-by-suicide aims to reduce the isolation felt by those who have lost their life partner through suicide, providing online emotional support and informal advice, by sharing individual experiences in a safe and secure environment.
• winston’s wish for children and young people who have been bereaved. Contact them for details of local services. They have useful information for the whole family, specifically about bereavement by suicide.

Article in One in Four magazine about the number of people affected by suicide – article by a member of the ROLE network

Google now make sure that suicide prevention links are top of the list when anyone searches for suicide. They also provide a link to the national suicide prevention phoneline at the top of the page.