What to do if you're having suicidal thoughts

Time to talk

If you are feeling suicidal, the most important thing is to talk to someone.

Many adults will experience suicidal thoughts at some point in their lives. The feelings that drive suicide are often temporary and situation-specific, for instance, a stressful event associated with feelings of loss can trigger suicidal thoughts.

If you are going through a difficult period, you may feel isolated and disconnected from your personal support networks. You may also worry about the reaction and impact on those close to you if you share thoughts of suicide. It may feel awkward to start a conversation, and there isn’t a right or wrong way to talk about suicidal feelings.

Starting the conversation is what’s important.

You may want to talk to a trusted family member, a friend, a staff member in your department or hall of residence, Student Support and Wellbeing Services, your GP, or an external organisation dedicated to supporting people experiencing suicidal feelings. Further information on helplines and other sources of support is available below - most of these are available out of hours.  Professional support is available, and it is easy to access.

It is important to remember that people care and will want to help.

Look after yourself

There are a number of ways you can look after yourself if you are feeling suicidal. Firstly, you can save emergency phone numbers and what to do when you are feeling suicidal in your Safety Plan.

Download your Safety Plan

It can be helpful to complete this together with one of our Mental Health and Wellbeing Advisers during an appointment.  Visit our seeing an adviser page to find out how to book an appointment.

Try to be around friends or family if you can. If this is not possible, aim to get to a safe place and call them.

Try to not consume drugs or alcohol - these can have a substantial negative effect on mental health and wellbeing.  Please see our dedicated pages on support for alcohol, drugs, unwanted or addictive behaviours for specific advice on this.

Do things you enjoy, such as listening to music, exercising, or watching a favourite TV show in order to distract yourself and take your mind off your thoughts. 

Crisis Support

Student Support and Wellbeing Services do not offer emergency support. If you’re in immediate danger of hurting yourself or others:

• Go directly to the Accident & Emergency (A&E) department of your local hospital.
• Call 999 to request an ambulance if you are unable to reach the hospital yourself.

If you’re feeling distressed and need urgent support:

• Contact your GP surgery to request an emergency appointment. If your GP surgery isn’t open, call 111 for free out-of-hours NHS medical support.
• You can call the Samaritans on 116 123 to talk to someone at any time, day or night.
• Nightline are a listening service for students, by students. They’re available overnight for online chat and calls from 6pm-8am.

Important links

• What to do when you’re worried about a student
• Student of Concern form
• How we handle your confidential information
• Student Support and Wellbeing Service Charter