Safety Planning
What is safety planning?
Having thoughts of suicide can feel overwhelming. You may find it really hard to know what to do or be in so much emotional pain you don’t think you can cope. At times like these, hurting yourself or ending your life might feel like the only answer.
A safety plan can be helpful during these times. It puts all your coping tools in a series of steps:
- Recognising your warning signs
- Making your surroundings safe
- Things that can make you feel strong
- People and places to connect with
- Family and friends you can talk to
- Professional support
- Reminders of reasons to live
Creating your own Suicide Safety Plan
A suicide safety plan is a written set of instructions that you create for yourself as a contingency plan should you begin to experience thoughts about harming yourself. It contains a series of gradually escalating steps that you follow, proceeding from one step to the next, until you are safe.
Work with someone you trust, such as a close family member, your best friend or a doctor or support worker, to develop your suicide safety plan. It is best to get these people involved since you will most likely need to call on them if you decide to execute your plan.
Try to create the plan while you are feeling well and can think clearly, rather than waiting until you are actively suicidal. Put your suicide safety plan in writing and keep it in a place where you can easily find it should the need arise.
While everyone’s plan is personal and different, it can help in the same way.
You can make it on your phone or download and print it to carry it with you to access anywhere and anytime.