If you are having suicidal thoughts, it can be hard to talk about. However, thinking about suicide is very common and you are less alone than you think. In Malawi, there are 5 suicide hotlines (helplines and crisis lines) who are there to listen. Suicidal thoughts can look like any of the following:

Feeling like your life has already ended
Feeling trapped or stuck
Fascination with the concept of death and dying
Losing your motivation to keep going
Having urges to hurt yourself
Looking up information about how to kill yourself
Feeling unwanted or like a burden to others
Thinking there is nothing worth living for

When you're experiencing severe emotional distress, you may feel desperate to relieve your pain. Suicide is not the answer. It may feel like the only way to manage problems that seem unbearable, but it's not. There are always other options and there is always hope for a better tomorrow.

It's important to know that how you're feeling is normal and that you are not alone. There are trained crisis line volunteers in Malawi who will listen to you and support you. Speaking to a compassionate volunteer may give you that extra bit of hope that you need to keep going.

For free and confidential support with suicide, consider contacting a hotline in Malawi today.