A safety plan is a personalised plan to support you step-by-step at times when you may be thinking about suicide.
Your safety plan might include:
- recognising your warning signs
- details of your own coping strategies – what has helped in the past and what you can do to help yourself now
- the names and contact details of loved ones or telephone support services who can help in a crisis
- the names and contact details of professionals or agencies you can contact during crisis
- steps on making your environment safe and details of a safe place you can go to if you need
Try to make a plan when you are well or able to think clearly about what you find helpful. You might want to complete the plan with a trusted friend or therapist and give them a copy to keep.
"I tried to plan for feeling really bad, knowing that I could become incapable of controlling my feelings for a while. It hurts to not trust yourself but it does pass and I am so glad to be here still."
You can find safety plan templates online, like this one from the Students Against Depression website and this leaflet from the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
Is a safety plan the same as a crisis plan?
A safety plan focuses on what you can do now to keep yourself safe.
A crisis plan or joint crisis plan (agreed jointly between you and any mental health professionals involved in your care) also focuses on what has helped to keep you safe in the past, but is more detailed. It also covers what treatment you would like to receive if necessary, and whether you've made an advance statement or decision.
You can read more about crisis plans here.
