Suicidal thoughts
For those of you who have thoughts about taking your own life.
You are not alone in having suicidal thoughts when life feels overwhelmingly difficult. If you have thoughts about hurting yourself or taking your life, help is available. Life changes over time and can become better in ways you may not believe before you get help to find a way forward.
Understanding suicidal thoughts
Going through difficult times can make life feel painful, meaningless and hopeless. Sudden negative events such as life crises or failures can feel impossible to go on living with. Thoughts of not wanting to live anymore can take shape when it is hard to see any solution to or change in the situation, and when the mental and/or physical pain feels unbearable. Death may feel like a solution to what feels overwhelming.
Suicidal thoughts are often a consequence of feeling mentally unwell in a way that temporarily reduces the ability to find solutions to problems. These thoughts usually arise because you want to change your situation and end the suffering you feel. When you have thoughts of taking your life, it is common to think that nothing can get better. We often perceive our thoughts as truths rather than thoughts. As a result, they can feel very convincing, as if there is no alternative. But there are always other possibilities.
It can feel hard to ask for help
Often, you feel alone with your thoughts and feelings and have a hard time believing that someone can understand or that there is help available. It is also common to carry feelings of guilt and shame and think that you are not worthy of help. Thoughts of taking your own life can make you afraid of losing control and of actually being able to harm yourself.
Reaching out can make a difference
A first step toward getting help is to tell someone about how you are feeling and what you are thinking. This could be a close relative or someone else you trust. It could also be someone you talk to via a support helpline. Helplines are available both through chat and by phone. By sharing your experience with someone, it can weigh less heavy on you and help you feel less alone. You may also need professional help to manage what feels difficult, and then you need to contact your local healthcare centre or emergency psychiatry service.
Keep in mind that there are different ways to get help. If you have previously sought help and felt that the support you received was not right for you, it is important to know that other help is available.
When you should seek help for suicidal thoughts
- If you have thoughts about harming yourself or taking your own life
- If you start to move on to thoughts about how you would proceed
If you have acute suicidal thoughts
If you plan to take your life, always call 112.
Coping strategies during difficult times
- Tell someone you trust how you feel and about the thoughts you have.
This can help break repetitive thought patterns, create distance from them, and shift your perspective. - Stick to your routines.
Try to stay physically active, eat and sleep regularly. This can provide greater stability in everyday life during anxiety and depression. - Try to stay awake during the day and sleep at night.
Spending some time in daylight every day helps maintaining a healthy sleep-wake rhythm. - Do things you used to enjoy.
Even if it feels pointless right now and you don’t feel like doing anything, it can help over time to reconnect with activities that may increase positive emotions. - Avoid alcohol and other drugs.
They increase your vulnerability and can worsen anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts, even if they feel helpful in the moment. - Have compassion for yourself.
When we feel bad, we are often more judgemental about ourselves than we would be about a friend. Then we need to turn our perspective around and remind ourselves of how we would approach a loved one who feels bad and is having a hard time. How would you care for a friend who was feeling unwell?
If you need to talk to someone
There are several helplines and phone numbers you can call for support and help. Here are some of them:
- National helpline: 90 390 (or 020-290 390 if calling from a foreign number)
- Jourhavande medmänniska (On-call attendee): 08-702 16 80
- On-call priest: can be reached via 112
- Mind Suicide Prevention Line: chat via mind.se or call 90101
- The National Association of SPES (suicide prevention and support for those affected by suicide): 020-18 18 00
When you are concerned about someone
Being close to someone who has suicidal thoughts can feel very difficult. If you are worried about someone close to you, it is important to dare to ask how the person is feeling and to offer help in seeking support. Try to be there and listen openly, without giving quick advice or arguing against what they say. Simply showing that you care can make a big difference. Asking whether someone has thoughts about harming themselves or taking their own life does not increase the risk; on the contrary, it can feel like a relief for someone who is feeling very unwell.
Practical ways to offer support
If the person wants help but finds it difficult to seek it on their own, you can offer to help make a phone call or book an appointment with a primary care clinic or psychiatric services, or to contact the medical advice line to receive guidance. If possible, you could also offer to accompany them to their first healthcare appointment.
Remember yourself
Make sure that you also get support if you need it - by talking to someone you trust or by accessing support for significant others.
Last updated: 2026-04-08