I’m going to complete this series with the most important blog you might ever read. It might just save your life. What do you do when you are close to committing suicide? Every person who has ever killed themselves has stood on that cliff, and then made the wrong, devastating choice. At that moment of fear, despair, and chaos, they did not have a plan to save themselves from themselves. My prayer is that you will never get yourself in that predicament. But if you do, what I have to say could save you. 

When you are feeling suicidal, my hope is that you’d come back and read this blog. Maybe you could print it out and put it someplace you’ll remember, and read it when you’re at your lowest. 

When you have lost hope and are about to make a horrible mistake, remember… 

1. Call your Contract For Life partner. A Contract For Life partner is someone you have made a commitment to. That commitment says, 

“I promise that if I have serious thoughts of killing myself, I will talk with you or with someone else I trust before I do anything destructive.” 

Keely said she has an older friend she calls when she feels suicidal thoughts coming on:“I told her everything. And I told her that I need her help. Sometimes I just call to hear her voice to know I’m not alone. Other times, I ask if we can get together. She doesn’t grill me, she’s just there for me.” 

The sooner you can get with that Contract For Life partner face to face, your chances for survival greatly increase. A Contract For Life partner is priceless. If you do not have one, make it a priority to go looking for one today. Someone who is deeply suicidal and alone is with one of the most dangerous people they’ll ever be with—themself. 

2. Remove whatever can harm you at that very moment. If there are guns, knives, and pills in your house, then RUN from your house. Get in your car and drive away from anything you can use to hurt yourself. This will buy you time to settle down and begin to think rationally. Some people are most suicidal when they are drunk. Have someone you know and trust clear all those things out of your house and vehicle. Remember, when you are suicidal, time is your friend. It is in time that we begin to think far more clearly. 

Wendalin said she was suicidal for over three years but was helped by knowing she wasn’t alone: “I had a friend who was there for me no matter what. I tried to push this friend away so many times, she took away the knifes and scissors I'd cut with, my Dad's diving knife, my grandpa's gun, and the hose and rope so I couldn't hang myself. Even though I was so mad at her for it, I knew she cared and that she really did love me.” 

3. Realize you will die if you believe the lie. The lie is that suicide will solve all your problems. This is one of the greatest lies of all. It implies there is no other way out of your predicament than to end your life. Suicide is a lie that makes cowards out of whom God wanted to turn into courageous heroes. 

You may be feeling extremely overwhelmed right now. It probably feels like the pain is never going to go away. Remember: the pain is temporary, but suicide is forever. We can never escape all of life’s difficult challenges. In one form or another they will always be there. But if you courageously take that first step away from suicide, and find healthy ways to deal with these challenges, you will be stronger and more able to deal with challenges you will face in the future. At your darkest hour, turn away from the lie and turn toward those who will tell you the truth. 

Glory wrote: “I tried a couple times but it never really worked. Then one night I realized something: If you can't change it, get over it. There are much better things to do in life then sit around hating life. God gave us life so we should use it. Killing yourself is only running away from your problems. It won't help one bit.” 

4. Turn to other activities. The key here is to get your mind off of doing the unthinkable. If you are near suicide, you want to change the subject, or divert your mind from what you were planning to do. Walk, jog, bike, swim, take a nap, take a hot shower, watch a movie, listen to music, read a book, do household chores, clean, go shopping, go to the park, etc. Anything to change the subject. 

Kelsey discovered this worked for her: “I actually went and got a knife to kill myself and I just stopped and…I was thinking this really isn’t solving my problems is it? So I just decided to try to get into something like hip-hop classes, get my mind off my life, and just try to live life to the fullest.” 

What I have shared with you today is only the beginning of what to do if you are extremely suicidal. Next week, we’ll talk further about how to face life in a healthy, courageous way.