With thanks to our Organisational Member, Papyrus, for this blog.
It’s not always easy to talk about suicidal thoughts, let alone describe what it feels like to live with them.
But if we’re going to prevent suicide, we need to understand it. Not just in theory, but through lived experience.
One in four of us will experience suicidal thoughts in our lifetime. For many young people, those thoughts are isolating, frightening, and deeply misunderstood. When left unsupported, they can escalate, putting lives at risk.
We believe suicide is preventable. And prevention starts with recognising what someone may be going through before it becomes a crisis.
Many assume suicidal ideation always means imminent danger. But it exists on a spectrum. For some, it’s occasional thoughts of not wanting to be here. For others, it’s constant, overwhelming, and deeply distressing.
These thoughts often ebb and flow, and even when someone seems “fine” on the outside, they may be silently struggling.
In the UK, suicide is the biggest killer of people under 35. We lose five young lives to suicide every day. This is happening now, in our communities, schools, workplaces and homes.
Everyone’s experience is different, but here are some common emotional themes:
Feeling like a burden
“I thought everyone would be better off without me.”
Suicidal thoughts can warp self-worth, making someone believe they’re a problem just by existing.
Emotional exhaustion
“I didn’t want to die. I just didn’t know how to live like this.”
For many, suicide isn’t about wanting death, it’s about wanting to escape the pain.
Disconnection or numbness
“I wasn’t sad. I just felt… nothing.”
This emotional void can be hard to recognise, and even harder to articulate.
Shame and silence
“I couldn’t tell anyone. I didn’t want them to think I was broken.”
Stigma keeps too many people quiet. And silence only adds to the pain.
Feeling trapped
“It felt like nothing would ever get better.”
When hope feels out of reach, the world can feel unbearably small.
Suicidal thoughts don’t mean someone is selfish or broken. They mean they are in pain, and they need support.
Updated August 2025
With thanks to our member, Carl Argent, for this blog. We tell boys to ‘man up’, to be strong and not to cry. It’s a hard world out there and you have to be hard to survive. Isn’t that the message mos...
With thanks to our member, Ilkay Alici, for this article. There are days when life feels heavier than usual. You wake up with the weight of the world pressing on your shoulders and before the day has ...
With thanks to our Organisational Member, Papyrus, for this article.Every year in the UK, more than 3.3 million people experience thoughts of suicide. Fortunately, lots of amazing work is being done t...
If you're looking for a counsellor, you can search our register by location or name, and you can also check whether someone is on the NCPS accredited register.
Search the Register
Use our Find a Course tool to find the nearest training providers who offer NCPS Accredited, Advanced Specialist, Quality Checked or CPD courses. These courses are currently run across the UK.
Find Out More