LISTEN

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Are you

• feeling desperate and hopeless
• alone with no one to talk to
• worried you might hurt yourself or someone else or commit suicide

If you have

• made a plan
• the means to hurt yourself or someone else e.g you have pills or a weapon
• attempted suicide or hurt yourself before

Please get IMMEDIATE HELP if this applies to you. CALL 911 or your local emergency response service or get to the nearest emergency hospital NOW.

Calling 911

If you decide to call 911 or Emergency Medical Services, tell them exactly where you are calling from so they can come and talk to you.

Okay, you are in a really bad spot. But coming to this page is good.

Even if you have already harmed yourself it’s not too late to turn this around.

Remember that you are doing the right thing by reaching out for help.

You deserve to feel better and get the help you need.

And you will get through this.

Coping While You Wait for Emergency Help

Some tips may work better than others depending on your situation. Go with what works for you.

If you are at home

• Get out your health card or ID, if you have it, and a purse or backpack
• Find anything else you might need if you go to the hospital (e.g. take a sweatshirt because sometimes the ER can be cold)
• If it’s possible, avoid being alone. If this is unavoidable:
• Pets can be comforting
• Call a friend or crisis line to talk to you until help arrives
• Avoid places where there are things you could hurt yourself with like the kitchen, bathroom, or the garage
• Crawl into bed or on the couch and pull the blankets up

If you aren’t at home, find a safe space

• Find a comfortable chair to sit in or a safe place to pace in
• Stay there and stay safe until help arrives

If you’re too restless to sit still

• Keep your hands busy with your phone or sort things like coins, playing cards, socks
• Play Squish ‘Em here
• Pace back and forth
• Even if you’re just organizing puzzle pieces by colour and size, it will keep you busy and safe

Keep Breathing

It may sound stupid but sometimes when we’re stressed out we can hold our breath without realizing it and that can keep us feeling panicked.

Breathe deeply, breathe in and out.

Focus on this moment.

Don’t worry about the next hour or the next day or the next week.

Just hold on to breathing in this moment.  

Let time pass as you hold tight until help arrives.

Find a local crisis service or resources in your area that can help you assess your situation.

FIND MORE RESOURCES FOR SPECIFIC ISSUES IN WEB LINKS.

FOR MORE WAYS TO COPE, HELP YOURSELF AND MAKE CHANGES IN YOUR LIFE, CHECK OUT THE TOOLS IN OUR TOOLBOX SECTION.