You do not have to face this alone. Immediate support is available.
If you are experiencing thoughts of suicide, this is a sign that your mind and nervous system are under extreme stress. It does not mean you are weak, broken, or beyond help. It means you need support right now.
This guide is here to help you take safe next steps.
1️⃣ Reach Out Immediately
If you are in immediate danger or feel unsafe right now, go to the nearest emergency room or contact local emergency services immediately.
🌎 Crisis Support (Worldwide)
United States: Call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline)
Chat available at: https://988lifeline.org/Outside the United States:
Find crisis hotlines in your country here:
👉 https://findahelpline.com/
This website provides international crisis resources across most countries and regions.
🔘 Find a Crisis Line Near You
👉 https://findahelpline.com/
You deserve immediate support. Reaching out is a strong and protective action.
2️⃣ Create a Safety Space
If possible, take small steps to make your environment safer while you wait for support:
Remove or distance yourself from anything that could be used to harm yourself.
Identify one safe place where you can sit or lie down.
Keep a list of people you can call or text:
Friend
Family member
Sponsor
Counselor
Sober coach
Support group member
🔘 Message a Sober Sidekick Member Now
👉 Open Direct Messages in the app
Even one safe person can help interrupt isolation.
3️⃣ Grounding Techniques to Stay Present
When suicidal thoughts feel intense, grounding can help bring your focus back to the present moment.
5–4–3–2–1 Exercise
5 things you can see
4 things you can feel
3 things you can hear
2 things you can smell
1 thing you can taste
Other grounding tools:
Hold something cold (ice cube or cold water) to bring awareness into your body.
Slow, deep breathing:
Inhale for 4 seconds
Hold for 2 seconds
Exhale for 6 seconds
🔘 Try a Guided Breathing Exercise
👉 Open the Anxiety & Breathing Tools in Resources
These techniques do not solve everything — they help create enough stability to reach support safely.
4️⃣ Talk About Your Feelings
Tell someone you trust exactly how you feel. Do not minimize your thoughts.
You can say:
“I’m not okay. I’m having thoughts about hurting myself.”
Being direct helps others understand the seriousness of what you are experiencing.
If speaking feels too hard, writing your feelings down can help release them instead of acting on them.
🔘 Post in the Community (If Safe to Do So)
👉 Share What You’re Feeling
Connection reduces risk. Silence increases it.
5️⃣ Professional Support
A licensed therapist, counselor, or psychiatrist can provide:
Immediate coping strategies
Risk assessment and safety planning
Medication evaluation (if appropriate)
Ongoing structured care
If you are in recovery, you can also reach out to:
Sponsor
Sober coach
Recovery peer
Support group
You do not have to wait until things feel “worse” to get help.
💡 Important Reminder
Thoughts of suicide are a sign your brain is overwhelmed and under extreme stress.
They do not mean:
You are weak
You are selfish
You are beyond recovery
You have failed
You deserve help. Help is available. And reaching out is a protective action.
⚖️ Medical & Safety Disclaimer
This information is for educational and peer-support purposes only and does not replace professional medical, psychiatric, or emergency care.
Sober Sidekick does not provide crisis intervention services.
If you are in immediate danger, feel unable to keep yourself safe, or have already taken steps to harm yourself:
Contact local emergency services immediately
Go to the nearest emergency department
Call a crisis hotline in your country: https://findahelpline.com/
If you are in the United States, call or text 988 or visit https://988lifeline.org/
🌍 You Are Not Alone
No matter what country you are in, support exists.
If you can, reach out right now — to a crisis line, a trusted person, or someone inside the Sober Sidekick community.
Even one message can change the direction of this moment.