A Safety Plan includes what you would do, and who might support you, in a crisis. They might include distraction techniques to help you get through the next seconds or minutes as thoughts of suicide becoming overwhelming, how you can make your immediate environment or situation safer, who you can contact when things get really tough, and what you can do in an emergency.
Safety Plans take a stepped approach. They can help us manage those fleeting thoughts of suicide that emerge at the edge of your mind – through to situations where the desire to die becomes so overwhelming we no longer think we can keep yourself safe.
Make your Safety Plan before you reach crisis point. Being prepared is key. Start writing it now. Its also OK if you feel you can’t complete all of it right now, fill in what you can and come back to the other sections later.
Ask someone to help you write your plan. Find someone else who can support you through it, and bounce ideas off – like a family member, friend or mental health worker. If you name someone in your plan, tell them, and if you can share your safety plan with them.
A safety plan needs to belong to you. It is a very individual plan. Someone can help you develop it but ultimately you need to decide what goes into it, and what works for you.
A safety plan is a practical tool to help you keep safe. It focuses on managing thoughts of suicide and it is not a wellbeing plan or a long term plan to deal with low mood. But do think about what support you might need to make changes in the long run to protect you from thoughts of suicide.
It needs to be a plan that is going to work for you. Make sure you have access to your plan when you need. Have a copy on your phone and if you can, share it with relevant family, friends and professionals such as your GP or mental health worker. Review your plan every so often to check its still relevant.
You can download a copy of our Safety Plan template here as a PDF.
You don’t have to use these and may prefer to find a more personalised way of constructing your own.
