What should I do if I am feeling suicidal, but don't want to tell anyone?
304 Answers
Last Updated: 07/10/2020 at 10:40pm


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Art Therapist
Life can be messy. Sometimes you need a little support to make your way through it. I love to help guide people through their challenges & to find the beauty in our messes.
Top Rated Answers
Definitely tell someone! Even though you don't want to burden them with your thoughts or you think that they may think of you differently if you tell them it doesn't matter. The majority of the time people just want to help you and they will want to help you get through it and get help! Definitely ask for help :)
Anonymous
February 26th, 2017 2:16am
You should tell someone right away, even if you don't want to.
National suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
you aren't ever alone.
Anonymous
April 6th, 2017 1:05pm
Professional help is obviously best. if you're unwilling to do that, sit down in a quiet place and introspect about these feelings. Are these feelings just a temporary low? or some sort of metaphysical depression? eg: hopelessness after a breakup VS a seemingly 'logical' disenchantment with living. I am sure after this recognition, solutions will occur naturally
Anonymous
July 8th, 2017 2:33am
While this is difficult, you should tell someone. A trusted adult who can help get you the support you need. At least call a hotline and talk to them if you're seriously considering suicide. 7 cups is another great resource to use. If you can, make an appointment with a therapist and talk to them about these feelings.
if not having an emergency plan, do anything which distracts you, get online support, you do not need to say you are suicidal, make your environment safe as possible, exercise, read or watch motivation videos made particularly for this feeling, try to force yourself to postpone it for at least 48 hours, go for a walk, if you have a house cat, dog or so touch them, for the future prepare an emergency journal, write down everything you like about yourself, what you like to do, plans for the future, names of friends, mayebe with a nice story
Anonymous
January 14th, 2018 10:10pm
Just think of the happy things you’ll miss out on.. like a family, fun times with your friends, parties, Netflix binge watching, a lover, other fun experiences.. you haven’t lived long enough to know the full value and hope For the future ... stay .. please.. you’re needed here... i may not know you personally but I do know that you deserve to live .. happily .. love you....
Love, nobody important:)❤️
I've learned that talking to someone is the hardest, but best decision you can make when suicidal.
When I have felt suicidal and hopeless, I rarely want to talk to anyone about it through fear of the other person not understanding, or them saying it is only for attention, or making you feel worse about it. These can all add up and be extremely overwhelming. I like to go through the day in detail, and pick out at least three things that made me smile. Three might be a small number.. but when you feel hopeless and like you have no purpose left on this earth, smiling feels like being asked to lift the entire temple of Zeus using only one finger. Take your time and breathe. If that doesn't work, then there are always people to talk to at charities like Samaritans or Suicide.org. You are never alone in this world.
If you are feeling suicidal, it is very important to talk about it. Even if you don't want to, you must! Just remember: Never do something permanent just because you are temporary sad.
If you're feeling actively suicidal (if you're making a plan or preparing to commit suicide), you should call a hotline or 9-11. Unfortunately, if you are feeling suicidal, people SHOULD know. If it's too hard to talk to your parents or guardians, going to the hospital may be beneficial. If you are feeling passively suicidal (contemplating suicide but not yet making a plan), consider seeing a therapist, calling a hotline, or coming onto 7Cups to talk about what's bothering you.
There are many things you could do. Sometimes, it's really hard for us to tell someone as we get seen differently, isn't it? However, calling a suicide hotline would be a great start - the chats are completely confidential. If you're in the US, you can call the suicide hotline: 1-800-273-8255, if not, you can try suicide.org. You might be pleasantly surprised at how many people care about you
Anonymous
April 8th, 2018 4:13am
If you are feeling suicidal, you should tell someone. But if you can't seem to find yourself opening up, try one of these: writing (journals, letters, and poems are pretty common venting places), chat anonymously on a site like 7cups, draw, read, or do an activity you feel happy doing. Often writing the feelings but not acting on it is the best thing to do. What you write can also be shared with others if you ever feel ready to open up.
Well done for asking for help. That's not an easy thing to do. Maybe try one of these:
-Talk to a helpline. They're confidential and you'll be talking to a stranger who just want to help you, not someone who might judge you.
-Do the three day challenge. See if you can get through three days without smiling. Don't try not smile, just let it happen. Any time you smile, even tiny tiny ghosts of a smile, you start again. If you do make it through three days, try another three.
-Distract yourself. This feeling will pass. Start a new TV show. Read a book. Draw or write something. Garden. Listen to a song you've never heard of. Take your mind off these thoughts. Dwelling on them makes them worse.
-Watch videos for suicidal thoughts. There are some amazing ones on YouTube if you find them.
-Talk to someone, not necessarily about your thoughts but just talk to them. Make a new friend or chat to an old one. Arrange to meet up perhaps.
-Join a new club/get a new hobby
-Write a list of all the reasons to survive. Big or small. For example, new music being released or your pet being taken care of or finding out your maths test results or completing a goal
-Start a gratitude journal or jar
-Look for online counselling
-You don't want to hear this but : Tell someone. Stay safe
Your life is so so so so important. You would be so so so missed. I promise you. Keep fighting. Life will get better and you'll want to be there when it does. We care about you. We want you with us.
try to find as many reasons to stay alive as you can think of, that don't make you feel guilty. Live for yourself and don't rely on other people to stay alive
ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS tell somebody. Even if you don't want to talk to them about why you are feeling suicidal, you should always make sure somebody you know and trust is either near you or aware of the situation. Make sure that you tell them so that they can know they need to help you and be ready if you do try to do anything. If you really, really don't want anyone to know, try coming to a website like 7 Cups, or calling a hotline. Those things are anonymous, and if someone did react negatively, they couldn't do anything about it.
I am really sorry to hear you are suffering so much. If you feel suicidal and do not want to share this with people you know, it is fundamental that you reach out to appropriate help such as calling a crisis helpline. You could also call for an ambulance or go the nearest ER. You can find useful numbers and resources at suicide.org. You can also have a look at the crisis resources page here on 7Cups: https://help.7cups.com/hc/en-us/articles/360026238093-Crisis
Please remember that listeners here are not trained to deal with suicidal thoughts and suicidal ideation and cannot support you the way you deserve. If you are not experiencing an ongoing crisis, but still struggling with those thoughts, therapy could definitely help you. There are a few therapists on this website that have suicidal ideation as their area of expertise.
Take a deep breath and step away from any temptation. Do some grounding techniques - play your favourite song, count backwards from a 100, say the colour of different objects around the room out loud. Find a mantra that you can repeat to yourself when you get these thoughts. For me, I will rock back and forth and repeat to myself ' This too shall pass', to remind myself that any suffering or pain is only temporary. You should make a list of everything that you are excited about - from aspirations about the future and friends/ family you like seeing, to small things like being excited for a new movie or album or looking forward to a trip. Remind yourself that these moments are worth fighting for. Write down 5 reasons why you love yourself and your life, do not allow 'buts'. You are so incredibly strong and you CAN get through this.
If your concern is compromising your identity:
You can text a crisis text line / chat line anonymously.
If you simply cannot admit that you feel suicidal
(for reasons other than the fear of being institutionalized or similar practical reasons):
- you can seek mental health care professional psychiatrist or psychotherapist without revealing that you feel suicidal. For example, you can tell them that you feel depressed but deny feeling suicidal or having thoughts about self-harm.
- you can talk to your primary care doctor about your concerns with depression without revealing any suicidal thoughts.
- you can buy a DBT skills training manual (workbook) for $23 and read it alone, privately
- you can buy and use a CBT skills workbook and read it alone, privately
Anonymous
August 25th, 2016 3:00am
Find a way to distract yourself. Watch a movie, read a book, listen to music, talk to someone (not about suicide, but about something completely unrelated). Another idea is to watch YouTube videos on why you shouldn't kill yourself, but be careful because they may be triggering. The key is distracting yourself from the thoughts. Stay strong!
Calling into an anonymous help line is a great first step. That way you can have someone unbiased to talk to and not worry about the stigma of sharing something so personal with a friend, coworker or family member if you aren't comfortable. The important thing is to talk to someone about it. Keeping those feelings locked up isn't a healthy thing to do.
I would try and find someone I could tell, even if it was someone on a helpline who I knew would have to keep confidentiality. It all depends on the severity and intensity of your thoughts. If you really feel that you're at risk, you need to go to the emergency room. If you can keep yourself safe for now, maybe you can manage the feelings with distraction techniques and so on, but honestly if you can find someone to tell and still feel safe, you need to do that. Suicidal thoughts are serious. You need and deserve help.
Anonymous
August 26th, 2016 1:41am
I'd try to open up to someone who can give me some sort of advice or even turn to expert advice.
Talk to a friend or call a hotline. If you don't want to do these things, get anonymous help online.
Anonymous
August 27th, 2016 10:00pm
You should call this number and talk to them. It is completely Anonymous and they will talk to through it.
Anonymous
September 2nd, 2016 2:21am
Maybe you should write down your feelings. If maybe one day you feel like you don't want to be here, take out a pen or pencil and with down why and what you think is the key to fix it,
you should first own up too and contact some one on a hotline or on here and let them try to help you understand that your life is worth liviing
There are lots of people who can help!! You could call the suicide hotline number and talk to someone anonymously so you don't feel like you are sharing personal information
Always, always, ALWAYS, tell someone, anyone. The suicide hotline is always there, available. It may be hard to talk but, a life once taken, cannot be given back.
Go to a suicide.org website, they can help a lot more than 7cups. Don't keep it in, or you will never recover!
Understand that these feelings are very serious. While it may be uncomfortable, find someone you trust to speak with, and work with them to seek the help you need. Life is worth living, and you should make every effort to get better!
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