.::Are you suicidal right now?::.

• If you have taken measures to hurt yourself then please phone an ambulance or the police or the local accident and emergency (emergency room). Tell them what you have done.

• Do not do anything rash. I guess a lot of people who kill themselves (or attempt to) do so on impulse. I feel suicidal quite often so when I do I think of the last time that I felt suicidal (or the last suicidal 'phase' that I went through) and think what has happened between then and now. I have promised myself that if I am glad I didn't die then or even if one thing good has happened since then, one time which I have enjoyed, then I will not kil myself. So I never will. Because chances are that if you have been suicidal before and then things have got better, they are likely to again.

• Remember that suicidality (or suicidal ideation) is a feeling same as any other, same as happiness and same as sadness. Treat it like a feeling by not allowing it to affect you so much that you do anything which is drastic. That thing in your mind telling you to die is not you, it is not your friend. It is trying to convince you to die and to deprive the world of yourself and your talents. It's lying to you, you are not better off dead. Life can get better.

• You are unlikely to be thinking straight if you are determined to hurt yourself so that you die. It is most sensible to wait, wait until the morning, wait a week, a month, a year, come on, you can't give up that easily surely?

• Treat yourself- buy yourself something new.

• Get out of yourself and selp-pity by writing a gratitude list. The perfect antidote to both depression and self-pity! yay!! I always write on my list the things that I have particularly enjoyed that day, or the things that I have particularly had trouble with that day but should be grateful for anyway. For example on a sunny day where I have argued with my family a lot, I would include on my list sunshine, and family. I generally make my lists fairly long, but can't include everything I should be grateful for so I just focus on those things bad or good in my day. Then occasionally, if I'm feeling really bad, I have a huge gratitude list writing session and include all the flowers and birds and water and dressing myself and just everything I can get!

• Do something fun for yourself like going for a bath or taking a bath. If now is a dangerous time for you to cut yourself then don't do it, find an alternative.

• Write. Write everything that comes into your mind, and more. Just don't stop writing. This is distracting and so keeps you safe but also can help you work though things and put matters into perpective. I'm a little(!) melodramatic and so many times writing has saved me from my "I can't live because so and so didnt call me sweetheart the whole time i talked to them," or other similar ideas (yep, I have many lol)

• Distract yourself: read a book or do something on the internet which, will keep you there - go to a chat room, download mirc and look around chat rooms there or get a joke site or IM me - on msn ([email protected]) or yahoo (my username is recoveryodat) or ICQ (103330644). Or of course, you can email me. I want to talk to you, I want to help you. You are my friend and I don't want to lose you. If you are in a position to be able to then tell your parents or people living with you. It may be hard to say it but they should prefer that you tell them than to find you dead. If they don't then phone the police or social services.

• Phone an ambulance or the police and tell them that you are actively suicidal. That may be hard for you to do but then if you don't then you risk death really, and life isn't that bad, it can be fun!! (I promise; ask my friend, she'll tell you ;) ).

• Most of all............PRAY!!!!!!!!