Suicide Risk Factors and Signs

Take our Depression Test

Find a therapist near me

The restoration of hope is an essential aspect of escaping despair and suicidal thinking.

Hope is more than a fleeting feeling—it is an attitude and cognitive skill set one can develop.

Sometimes, restoring one's sense of hope requires help from others.

September is Suicide Awareness Month, a time that carries profound personal gravity for me. I am intimately aware of the devastation and heartbreak of losing someone you love to suicide. My son, Wiley, died by suicide after a nine-year battle with bipolar II disorder. On one tragic day in September, his tenuous relationship with hope was overpowered by a suicidal state of mind. My heart goes out to anyone struggling with this kind of despair and hopelessness, and to those who have lost a loved one to suicide.

We can’t escape the reality that life can be incredibly difficult at times. A depressive episode or personal crisis can move in and temporarily hijack your ability to experience life’s goodness. It can make some people question whether life is worth living. In those moments, you need enough hope to compete with suicidal thoughts that try to convince you that the only solution for ending your suffering is to stop living. You need enough hope to believe there are other ways to address the sources of your pain, even if you haven’t found them yet. Hope reminds you that your life matters—that you matter.

Because our well-being and our will to live are dependent on maintaining this sense of hope, finding ways to keep........

© Psychology Today