Many people will experience suicidal feelings at some point in life.
It’s more common to feel suicidal after a traumatic life event, but suicidality can happen at any time.
Cognitive Approaches to Combatting Suicidality defines suicidality as ‘suicidal thoughts (or suicidal ideation), suicide plans and suicide attempts.’[1]
This is a broad term which encompasses both suicidal ideation as well as suicide attempts or suicide.
There are varying levels of suicidality, which are dependent on your:
If you are experiencing some level of suicidality, you’re not alone.
However, it’s important to know that it is possible to move past these feelings with the right support.
Suicidal ideation is similar to suicidality, but ideation doesn’t include suicide attempts.[2]
There are two types of suicidal thoughts:
Active suicidal thoughts are more severe, but passive suicidal thoughts should still be taken seriously.
Suicide is the act of deliberately ending your own life.
Suicide and self-harm are not mental illnesses in themselves, but they are often experienced by people in mental distress.[3]
In 2013, The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared rising suicide rates a ‘global public health crisis’.[4]
The WHO advocate for the prevention of suicide across the world.
There are an increasing number of charities, organisations and resources available in the UK to help people tackle suicidal thoughts.
While suicide is more likely among those with a psychiatric illness, it can happen to anyone.
Suicidal tendencies are another word for suicidality, and include all of the symptoms above.
Suicidal tendencies can make life feel alienating and painful. You might be experiencing tiredness and overwhelm.
Statistics from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities show that suicide rates have gone up in 2024, with 13.9 deaths per 100,000 in January.
That’s a 25% increase compared with the previous month.[5]
Research by Samaritans found that low socio-economic status is the main cause of suicide across the nation.[6]
This shows us that money struggles are a very big reason for people feeling suicidal.
The UK has been through some economic turmoil in recent years, which may have impacted this rise.
Socio-economic problems aren’t just financial, they also include the wider problems faced by the working class.
These include:
Life is full of ups and downs, and many people will experience suicidal feelings at one point or another.
Sometimes suicidal feelings are simply abstract thoughts about not wanting to be here anymore.
Suicidal thoughts can look like:
Suicidality can feel like:
Suicidality can also manifest itself in other symptoms.
These include:
Suicidal feelings can happen to anyone, regardless of your age, background or gender.
Usually, people who develop suicidal feelings have felt hopeless or worthless in the past.
Suicidal feelings can be brought on by a particular event, or they can simply crop up out of nowhere.
Suicidality can happen at any time, but there are some life events and genetic dispositions that can make you more likely to experience them at some point in your life.
Common factors that increase the risk of suicide include:
These things can be emotionally difficult to process, or make you feel life is no longer worth living.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention report that having a history of previous suicide attempts are also a risk factor of feeling this way in the future.[8]
It’s important to continue treatment even after these feelings have passed, as your mood may go up and down.
When you contact Rehab 4 Addiction, a helpful team of non-judgemental people can offer you help and advice.
For more information about addiction and suicidality, simply reach out to our 24/7, confidential hotline on 0800 140 4690.
Medications which change your brain’s chemistry can cause hormonal changes.
Hormonal changes can be the cause of mental health problems, including suicidality.
Medications that can cause mental health issues include:
Although these mental health medications can have adverse symptoms, it’s important to know that given the correct dosage, they can greatly improve how you feel.
If you’re concerned your psychiatric medication is changing the way you feel, consult with your GP. Often they will adjust your dosage.
Research has shown that psychiatric illnesses greatly increase your chances of suicidality.
The mental disorders most often linked to suicidality are:
Studies tell us that more than 50% of people who take their own life are dependent on drugs or alcohol.
Researchers have found that the feeling of hopelessness in people with substance use disorders is one of the main causes of this link.
People experiencing addiction often have altered brain chemistry which can make being sober feel more negative.[11]
It’s important to know that it’s possible to recover from addiction, and go on to live a fulfilling life of sobriety.
When you contact Rehab 4 Addiction, a helpful team of non-judgemental people can offer you help and advice.
For more information about addiction and suicidality, simply reach out to our 24/7, confidential hotline on 0800 140 4690.
You should try to communicate with people who care about you.
Talking about how you feel has been proven to boost mental health.[12]
Making an appointment with a doctor will give you the chance to discuss how you’re doing. They’ll ask you a few questions about how you feel.
Be honest about your symptoms, as this will allow them to correctly prioritise your need for treatment.
The sooner you open up about what you’re going through, the sooner you can begin to heal.
It’s very normal to not want to tell people about feeling suicidal.
You might feel as though you’re:
Try the following tips and tricks:
Suicidal feelings can come and go quickly, or they can stick with you for a long time.
When you’re feeling negative, it’s common to think you’ll never be happy again.
It’s important to know that this feeling of hopelessness is just a symptom of your mental health, and that it is very possible to feel better.
How long you feel this way depends on your circumstances, but there are a few things you can do which will help you to feel more positive.
It is very possible to recover with time and treatment. Many people go on to leave suicidal feelings behind, and go on to live fulfilling lives.
You may notice this person is:
If you think someone might be struggling, try asking questions, and don’t assume how they’re feeling.
Many people feel driven to suicidal thoughts because they feel they’ll never get better.
With the right support, it is possible to get through this and begin to enjoy a fulfilling life.
If you or someone has harmed themselves and needs emergency care, call an ambulance to the address.
Crisis hotline: 116-123
Text: SHOUT to 85258
It can be hard to know what to do when someone you care about is struggling with their mental health.
Show support and willingness to listen by bringing up the topic of mental health.
If the person is willing to talk to you about how they’re feeling, you could see if they’d like any more support.
You could offer to:
If your friend or loved one isn’t open to communication, don’t push the subject.
It’s also important to remember that mental health problems are only one part of their life, so don’t feel you need to talk about it all the time.
Samaritans have created the SHUSH acronym to help you remember some tips.
These will help you listen to your loved one, in a way that makes them feel heard.
SHUSH active listening:
The National Institute of Mental Health recommends these five steps to help someone in emotional pain:
There are many treatments that can help you to ease symptoms of suicidality and psychiatric disorders.
A mental health treatment plan can greatly decrease negative feelings and risk of suicide.
In a study of the effectiveness of psychotherapy on suicide risk, the most effective therapies were found to be:[16]
CBT focuses on changing unhelpful thought patterns and behaviours by analysing and altering them.
You’ll learn:
DBT is a talking therapy similar to CBT which is designed to treat people who feel their emotions very strongly.
You’ll learn:
A qualified mental health professional can ensure you’re well supported through therapy.
It’s a delicate balance treating suicidality with medication.
Too much or too little can have adverse effects. Occasionally you may find that you need to change which medication you’re taking.
Everyone is different, so there’s no fixed approach.
However, antidepressant medication is associated with a major decrease in suicide risk in people with certain mental health conditions.[17]
Your GP or mental health professional will be able to diagnose you after a few questions.
Be honest about how you feel, and try to remember how you’ve felt at your lowest.
You may have good days and bad days, so it’s important to give them the full picture.
Your doctor may assess whether you have any:
You may need to be referred to specific mental health services.
https://sites.manchester.ac.uk/carms/2020/02/04/a-brief-introduction-to-suicidality/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8429339/
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/statistics/suicidal-thoughts-statistics
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK565877/
https://web.archive.org/web/20230210122937/https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/factors/index.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4023515/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1932152/
https://www.caba.org.uk/mental-health/managing-mental-health/how-talk-feelings.html
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/suicide-prevention
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6389707/
Boris is our editor-in-chief at Rehab 4 Addiction. Boris is an addiction expert with more than 20 years in the field. His expertise covers a broad of topics relating to addiction, rehab and recovery. Boris is an addiction therapist and assists in the alcohol detox and rehab process. Boris has been featured on a variety of websites, including the BBC, Verywell Mind and Healthline. You can connect with Boris online at LinkedIn or X.com.
