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Suicide Safety Plan
Step 1: Recognising warning signs that signal that you need to find help:
Identify specific thoughts, feelings, situations and behaviours that may predict a crisis. Examples include: feeling that
emotional pain will never end, having persistent thoughts that others would be better off without you.
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Step 2: What can you do by yourself to take your mind off the problem? What obstacles might there
be to using these coping skills? List activities that may take your mind off your suicidal feelings. This allows time
to pass and for the impulses to subside. Simple, engrossing activities can be surprisingly helpful. Examples include
listening to calming music, exercising, going for a walk or playing a musical instrument.
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Step 3: If you are unable to deal with your distressed mood alone, contact trusted family or friends,
and think of social settings that offer support as well as distraction from the crisis. List several people
in case your first choices are not available.
Name: _________________________________ Phone number: _________________________________
Name: _________________________________ Phone number: _________________________________
Name: _________________________________ Phone number: _________________________________
Name: _________________________________ Phone number: _________________________________
Name: _________________________________ Phone number: _________________________________
Place that provides distraction: ____________________________________________________________
Place that provides distraction: ____________________________________________________________
Step 4: Contact local health professionals or emergency services if you continue to have suicidal
thoughts or serious distress. Create a list of names, phone numbers and locations that can be contacted during
a suicide emergency. A crisis is no time to begin searching for this type of information.
Emergency - Phone: 000
Suicide Hotline: _________________________ Phone: ________________________________________
Local Hospital: __________________________ Phone: ________________________________________
Other:
Name: _____________________ Phone: ___________________ Address: ________________________
Step 5: Make sure that access to any deadly means of self-harm are minimized. For example, limiting
the number of pills available at any one time and removing any potentially harmful implements considered in plans. It
is a myth that if someone wants to die by suicide, they will, no matter what. In fact, limiting access to deadly means
makes a real difference. The strongest of suicidal feelings typically last only a brief period. If it is more difficult to act
during these periods, there is a good chance that the suicidal feelings will subside.
What is most important to me and worth living for:
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This plan has been developed using information from Reach Out and ‘Safety Planning Intervention’ by Barbara Stanley and
Gregory Brown from National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.