5 Resources for a Suicide Attempt Survivor (Guest Post)

Guest Post by Steve Johnson
Post Design by Christy Zigweid
Photo by qimono via Pixabay made using @WordSwagApp

---

​Surviving a suicide attempt often leaves a person confused, conflicted, and unsure of where to go next. ​

Receiving treatment for the underlying causes of your attempt is a critical first step but figuring out how to make that first step often is difficult for survivors. You also may not fully understand what you are going through, which makes your circumstances even more difficult. If you have survived a suicide attempt, there are some valuable resources to help you understand yourself and seek the help you need.

The National Suicide Hotline

​The Suicide Hotline is an extremely valuable asset for someone in crisis. On the other end of the line is a trained volunteer who has experience in talking frankly and openly about suicide. These volunteers are also strangers, which makes it easier for you to discuss this sensitive topic than it would be to talk about it with an emotional family member. These volunteers can talk you out of a second attempt and possibly refer you to doctors or locations that can provide help. The number is 1-800-273-8255.

Photo by Didgeman via Pixabay

Psychology Today

​Psychology Today is a website with information on mental health written in terms that can be understood by the average person. This site can be a very useful resource if you’re not sure what is causing your suicidal thoughts. The better you understand your situation, the better able you will be to help yourself.

Lifeline for Attempt Survivors

​Linelineforattemptsurvivors.org is a site devoted to the community of suicide attempt survivors. It contains information on every facet of being a suicide attempt survivor including tips on self-care from survivors like you, stories of recovery and hope, and personal stories about treatment. They also have a list of resources that can help you get help and recover. 

Speaking of Suicide

Speakingofsuicide.com is a site for not just survivors but for friends, family, and healthcare professionals to help those who survive a suicide attempt. As a suicide attempt survivor, you should get support from loved ones; however, your loved ones may not fully understand what you are going through. Resources like this can help them better understand what a suicide attempt looks like, why ​they happen, and how they can help you get better. It also has information, tips, and resources for survivors.

Support Groups

Not all helpful resources are online. A support group can offer you not only support but also compassion from people like you. Your group members will be able to listen, understand, and offer advice based on personal experience. Hearing tips from someone who has gone through what you have can be much more helpful than reading them from a website. Furthermore, you will be able to watch the members of your group get better, which will offer you hope. If you have survived a suicide attempt, you may want to seriously consider a support group, particularly if your loved ones aren’t as helpful as you need them to be.

​Surviving a suicide attempt is a confusing life event. Some people see this as a failure while others may view it as a second chance. 

What is most important to remember is that there is help out there for you. You can beat whatever made you consider suicide and reclaim your life and your happiness. Get the help you need, utilize your resources, and settle into the process of recovery.

---

About the Author

Steve Johnson has always been dedicated to promoting health and wellness in all aspects of life. Studying in the medical field has shown him how important it is for reputable health-related facts, figures, tips, and other guidance to be readily available to the public. He created PublicHealthLibrary.org with a fellow student to act as a resource for people’s overall health inquiries and as an accurate and extensive source of health information. When he isn’t hard at work in his studies, Steve enjoys playing tennis and listening to his vintage record collection.