I Might Hurt Myself
Do not try to solve everything tonight. Make the next few minutes safer and get another person involved.
This page does not ask you to record what you are thinking or create an account. If privacy matters, use a device you trust.
Do this in order.
Do not try to solve everything at once. Start with immediate safety, then move forward one step at a time.
Get another person involved now
Tell somebody plainly: “I am not safe on my own right now.” Stay with them or ask them to stay with you.
Move away from immediate means of harm
Create distance from places, objects, medicines or other things you are thinking about using to hurt yourself. Ask somebody else to secure them if needed.
Use emergency care if you may act
Call 999 or go to A&E if you think you may act on suicidal or self-harm thoughts or cannot keep yourself safe.
Use urgent NHS mental-health help
If you need urgent mental-health help but it is not an emergency, use the NHS urgent mental-health route for where you live. In England, NHS 111 can direct urgent mental-health support.
Shrink the time horizon
The job is not to fix your life. The job is to get through the next ten minutes, then the next hour, with another person or service involved.
Do not isolate after asking for help
If possible, stay around other people until the immediate intensity has reduced and a safer next step is in place.
Take only what matters now.
Do not.
- Do not stay alone if you believe you are at immediate risk of acting.
- Do not drive yourself if you are acutely unsafe or unable to concentrate.
- Do not use alcohol or drugs as the plan for getting through the crisis.
- Do not treat a crisis line or website as a replacement for 999 / A&E when there is immediate danger.
Use the route that matches the problem.
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