Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death, with a suicide occurring every 40 seconds worldwide.

In the United States alone, over 44,000 people die by suicide each year.

Contrary to popular belief, suicidal thoughts are not limited to people experiencing severe depression. It is fairly common for people who feel they have a diminished quality of life to harbor a quiet wish to die, believing that life is essentially over anyway. When one wishes to die without an actual plan or intent to harm oneself that is called passive suicidal ideation. Whether passive or active, any person who has experienced suicidal thoughts needs to take precautions and develop a safety plan in advance of a crisis. Planning for crisis before it occurs is one of the most effective methods for preventing it.

The basic elements of a safety plan includes: recognizing warning signs, identifying internal coping strategies, identifying helpful social contacts or family members, contacting mental health professionals, and reducing accessibility to lethal means.

Step 1 in developing a safety plan involves recognition of the signs that precede suicidal crisis. Warning signs can include specific thoughts, images, mood, behavior, or situations.

Step 2 is to identify activities you could engage in that would distract you from suicidal thoughts, even for a brief period of time. Examples of such activities are: walking, exercising, davening, reading, or cleaning. Assess the likelihood that you would actually be able to do that step during a crisis.

Step 3 of your safety plan involves identifying whom you can contact for social support. This may involve friends or family members, or another social setting. This step is not designed to reach out for help with the crisis itself, but to try to alleviate suicidality through greater connection with others.

Step 4 is in the event that the suicidal crisis is not alleviated through the first three steps. For step four, you identify who you can call to tell them you are in crisis and need help. This would necessarily include disclosing your suicidal feelings to that person. If that person knows how to provide the support you need, a suicidal crisis can be averted.

Step 5 consists of identifying the professionals who can assist at time of crisis if the previous strategies are not effective. The safety plan should include professionals who can be reached during non-business hours. You can call a 24 hour National Suicide Hotline number (800-273-8255) if the health care professionals on your safety plan cannot be reached. For attention to suicidal crisis that demands immediate response call 911.

Step 6 on your safety plan is to eliminate or remove access to any potential lethal means in your environment to whatever degree possible. For example, if you have thought of overdosing on medication, ask a trusted family member to store it in a secure place and take charge of giving it to you as prescribed.

Write down your entire Safety Plan steps 1-6. Then write down the potential obstacles to following your plan and strategies to overcome them. Follow these steps when a suicidal crisis occurs. Review the plan periodically and make revisions as necessary. While having this plan in place is useful, it is important to consider safety planning as only one component of your comprehensive mental health care. And always remember: Suicidal crisis will eventually pass, and stability will bring new opportunities for living with love, meaning, and joy.