Feeling Hopeless

To follow up on yesterday's post on suicide, I wanted to discuss one of the main reasons people become suicidal: feeling hopeless. Feeling hopeless means that we feel very down and see no way out or no way that things will get better. It's when we feel this doomed forever feeling that suicide seems like a viable option. As some put it, suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. But to the person, in that moment it does not feel temporary, and if they feel like they can't take feeling that way forever, they consider ending it all. What makes matters worse is that when we are feeling down and depressed, we have a negative bias to only see the bad and have a hard time seeing things getting better. This is why if you are feeling very down and hopeless, give yourself a little time before acting and talk to at least one person before you make any serious decisions. Many people who attempted suicide but survived say that they remember feeling so hopeless then, but are grateful they survived because now they have hope. They can recall that in that dark place everything seemed so dark and felt like it would be that way forever. Remember, there is always hope and there is always help. And again, if you or someone you know is suicidal, seek out professional help or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.