Donate
Find Help Now

Suicidal Feelings

Disclaimer:

This publication is based on a Mind UK publication and the original version may be found here: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/a-z-mental-health/

Thank you to Mind UK for sharing their valuable content with us. Content included in Mental Health A-Z is made available free of charge and does not form part of any commercial activity. The adaptation has been done independently by Mind HK and is intended for general information purposes only.

Where can I get treatment and support for suicidal feelings?

If you are experiencing ongoing suicidal feelings, you might feel as if there’s nothing that could help. But there is support available to help you cope with the problems that may be causing you to feel suicidal.

This page covers:

  • Support through your family doctor
  • Helplines and listening services
  • Peer support
  • Talking therapies
  • Medication
  • Crisis services

If you feel unable to keep yourself safe, it’s a mental health emergency.

Visit our page to find help now.

Support through your family doctor

Going to your family doctor is a good starting point for getting support. It is common to worry about talking to your doctor about suicidal feelings. But they will be used to listening to people who are experiencing difficult feelings.

Your doctor can:

  • refer you to talking therapies
  • prescribe you medication
  • refer you to specialist services.

“Always ask for help. Talking is hard but people can help us through the hard times.”

Helplines and listening services

Helplines and listening services can be good ways of getting information or support when you need it. Many are available across different times of the day, and provide a confidential, judgement-free service.

Talking to someone on the telephone can also be helpful if you are finding it difficult to open up to people you know, or don’t want to speak to someone face-to-face.

Or see our page on helplines and listening services for more information, including a list of organisations you can speak to.

“I’ve saved the Samaritans number so I know there is always a place to talk.”

Peer support

Peer support brings together people who’ve had similar experiences to support each other. You may find it a helpful way to share your thoughts, feelings and tips for coping with others who understand what you are going through.

Peer support can happen face-to-face, in groups or one-on-one. It can also happen over the telephone or via text messages. Or it could take place online, for example over email, within online support communities or on social media. You might prefer online support if you aren’t comfortable talking face-to-face about how you feel.

There are a few different places that you can find online peer support. See our pages on peer support  for more information.

Talking therapies

Talking therapies are treatments which involve talking to a trained professional about your thoughts, feelings and behaviour. For example, this could be speaking with a counsellor or a psychotherapist.

Talking therapies can help you understand why you’re experiencing suicidal feelings. They can also help you think about ways to help yourself cope with and resolve these feelings.

There may be a long waiting list in your area to access talking therapies. But you may be able to access them through charities, your workplace or university. Or you might be able to access them privately.

See our pages on talking therapies for more information about different types of treatment and how you can access them.

Medication

There isn’t a specific drug licensed to treat suicidal feelings. But your doctor might prescribe you psychiatric medication to help you cope with your symptoms. Or they might prescribe medication to treat a mental health problem which may be causing your suicidal feelings.

These medications may include:

  • antidepressants
  • antipsychotics
  • mood stabilisers.

Can medication make me feel worse?

Psychiatric medication may be prescribed to help treat a mental health problem that is causing suicidal feelings. But some people find these medications actually make them feel worse. See our page on coping with the side effects of psychiatric medication for more information.

If you experience suicidal feelings while taking psychiatric medication, you should talk to your doctor as soon as possible about this.

Crisis services

A crisis service is any service that is available at short notice to help and support you during a mental health crisis. These services include the following:

  • Crisis resolution and home treatment (CRHT) teams can support you if you have a mental health crisis outside of hospital. They’re often called ‘crisis teams’ for short, although your local service may have a different name.
  • Crisis houses offer intensive, short-term support to help you manage a mental health crisis in a residential setting, rather than in a hospital.
  • Local support services may offer day services, drop-in sessions, counselling or issue-specific support.
Instagram Facebook-f Linkedin
What is iACT Service?

Improving Access to Community Therapies (iACT®) is one of the services from Mind HK. Trained Wellbeing Practitioners will offer initial assessment and early intervention for people dealing with mild to moderate symptoms of depression, anxiety, or other emotional difficulties.

 

The service includes 6-8 sessions of low-intensity psychological support, the flexibility of the service allows individuals to receive free and timely support when needed.

If you’re aged between 18 – 65 and are facing some emotional challenges, we would like to invite you to take an online assessment for us to gain a better understanding of your current emotional struggle.

 

If you’re eligible, we’ll get you connected with a Wellbeing Practitioner within two weeks to sort out the next steps.

The service runs for about 3 months and includes 6-8 support sessions, tailored to your needs.

 

We encourage you to attend all sessions and actively practice the tips and exercises provided by your Wellbeing Practitioner.

We take your privacy seriously. Your chats with the Wellbeing Practitioner are confidential.

 

We won’t share any of your info unless you’ve provided consent or if there are risks detected.

This programme isn’t suitable for people facing emergencies, major setbacks, or those diagnosed with serious or complex mental health conditions.

 

If you’re having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, this programme might not meet your needs, so please seek help right away. You can check out Mind HK’s “Find Help Now” page for immediate information and services.

Most of our Wellbeing Practitioners have backgrounds in psychology or counselling and are passionate about mental health. They’ve gone through about 140 hours of intensive training and completed at least 120 hours of supervised clinical practice over 9 months to ensure the quality of service.

 

They’re trained by accredited local experts in the mental health field, including clinical psychologists, counselling psychologists, counsellors, and psychiatrists. Plus, we regularly check how effective our services are. All service outputs and performances are subject to consistent monitoring.

Who is suitable for participating in this programme?

This programme welcomes anyone between the ages of 18 and 65 who may be feeling lost or facing emotional difficulties. Please note that this programme is not suitable for individuals diagnosed with severe or complex mental health conditions.

This programme is not suitable for individuals diagnosed with severe or complex mental health conditions, but suitable for those who experience mild to severe moderate anxiety, mild to moderate depression, or other emotional challenges. If you are currently experiencing a major setback or even having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please visit the “Find Help Now” page on our Mind HK’s website for immediate information and services.

After signing up, our Wellbeing Practitioner will contact you within two weeks to schedule a convenient time for a 45-minute conversation, either via video or phone call, according to your preference. During the conversation, the Wellbeing Practitioner will understand your current situation and help you gain a better understanding of your emotional state based on the questionnaire you filled out during application. Additionally, they will provide recommendations for appropriate community resources based on your needs, helping you take an important first step in taking care of your mental health.

Although the intervention procedure is mostly standardised, Wellbeing Practitioners will work flexibly with clients to address individual presenting problems and unique characteristics.

Our Wellbeing Practitioners are trained to support people who experience mild to moderate mental health difficulties primarily. This programme is not suitable for the situations mentioned above. If you are currently experiencing a major setback or even having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please visit the “Find Help Now” page on our Mind HK’s website for immediate information and services.

Your conversations with the Wellbeing Practitioner are absolutely confidential. Any information about you will not be shared with anyone without your consent unless you or others are at immediate risk or the Wellbeing Practitioner has reason to believe that you may be in imminent danger.
Supervisors will monitor trainees’ development throughout the placement to ensure that they are meeting the required level of competency to pass the training course at the end of the placement.

Yes, it is necessary to book an appointment in advance by filling out the form. Additionally, you can select one of the five stores yourself. We will allocate clients to different Wellbeing Practitioners based on their chosen location.

Before having the conversation, we will ask you to fill out a basic questionnaire for preliminary screening assessment. This screening process aims to ensure that the training received by the Wellbeing Practitioners is sufficient to meet the needs of the individuals receiving the service. If it is determined after the screening assessment that the service is not suitable for you, Mind HK will provide alternative recommendations to ensure your safety and support.

For adults who are suitable for this service, all Wellbeing Practitioners have received training on how to identify and respond to safety and risk issues. If you have any concerns about the support process, the Wellbeing Practitioners have appropriate measures in place and will develop response plans based on the urgency of the situation. They can also access support from clinical practitioners from Mind HK or participating organisations.

What private training does Mind HK provide?

Mind HK provides 4 themes of mental health training, including: Supporting Self, Supporting Others, Family Wellbeing and DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion).

 

Check out the brochure here for more information.

Mind HK provides a wide range of standardised mental health training, which can be tailored to different circumstances. Chat with our team to explore more! 

Our trainers come from a diverse, accredited pool of clinically experienced professionals. Check out our trainers’ biographies here.

Yes, the Mental Health First Aid class of Mind HK is internationally accredited by the MHFA International. The content and certification is delivered by trainers certified from the Mental Health Association of Hong Kong. You can find out our trainers accreditation here.

We are here to support your mental health education journey! Reach out to us and chat with our team.

Where can I get treatment and support for suicidal feelings?

Where can I get treatment and support for suicidal feelings?

If you are experiencing ongoing suicidal feelings, you might feel as if there's nothing that could help. But there is support available to help you cope with the problems that may be causing you to feel suicidal.

This page covers:

  • Support through your family doctor
  • Helplines and listening services
  • Peer support
  • Talking therapies
  • Medication
  • Crisis services

If you feel unable to keep yourself safe, it's a mental health emergency.

Visit our page to find help now.

Support through your family doctor

Going to your family doctor is a good starting point for getting support. It is common to worry about talking to your doctor about suicidal feelings. But they will be used to listening to people who are experiencing difficult feelings.

Your doctor can:

  • refer you to talking therapies
  • prescribe you medication
  • refer you to specialist services.

"Always ask for help. Talking is hard but people can help us through the hard times."

Helplines and listening services

Helplines and listening services can be good ways of getting information or support when you need it. Many are available across different times of the day, and provide a confidential, judgement-free service.

Talking to someone on the telephone can also be helpful if you are finding it difficult to open up to people you know, or don't want to speak to someone face-to-face.

Or see our page on helplines and listening services for more information, including a list of organisations you can speak to.

"I've saved the Samaritans number so I know there is always a place to talk."

Peer support

Peer support brings together people who've had similar experiences to support each other. You may find it a helpful way to share your thoughts, feelings and tips for coping with others who understand what you are going through.

Peer support can happen face-to-face, in groups or one-on-one. It can also happen over the telephone or via text messages. Or it could take place online, for example over email, within online support communities or on social media. You might prefer online support if you aren't comfortable talking face-to-face about how you feel.

There are a few different places that you can find online peer support. See our pages on peer support  for more information.

Talking therapies

Talking therapies are treatments which involve talking to a trained professional about your thoughts, feelings and behaviour. For example, this could be speaking with a counsellor or a psychotherapist.

Talking therapies can help you understand why you're experiencing suicidal feelings. They can also help you think about ways to help yourself cope with and resolve these feelings.

There may be a long waiting list in your area to access talking therapies. But you may be able to access them through charities, your workplace or university. Or you might be able to access them privately.

See our pages on talking therapies for more information about different types of treatment and how you can access them.

Medication

There isn't a specific drug licensed to treat suicidal feelings. But your doctor might prescribe you psychiatric medication to help you cope with your symptoms. Or they might prescribe medication to treat a mental health problem which may be causing your suicidal feelings.

These medications may include:

  • antidepressants
  • antipsychotics
  • mood stabilisers.

Can medication make me feel worse?

Psychiatric medication may be prescribed to help treat a mental health problem that is causing suicidal feelings. But some people find these medications actually make them feel worse. See our page on coping with the side effects of psychiatric medication for more information.

If you experience suicidal feelings while taking psychiatric medication, you should talk to your doctor as soon as possible about this.

Crisis services

A crisis service is any service that is available at short notice to help and support you during a mental health crisis. These services include the following:

  • Crisis resolution and home treatment (CRHT) teams can support you if you have a mental health crisis outside of hospital. They're often called 'crisis teams' for short, although your local service may have a different name.
  • Crisis houses offer intensive, short-term support to help you manage a mental health crisis in a residential setting, rather than in a hospital.
  • Local support services may offer day services, drop-in sessions, counselling or issue-specific support.