If thoughts of suicide have come before, they may come again. A safety plan is something you write on a calmer day, so that on a harder one you don’t have to think. You just follow it.
A safety plan is a short, personal list you write while calm, to use if thoughts of suicide come: your warning signs, things that help you cope, people to contact, professional and crisis lines, how to make your surroundings safer, and your reasons for living.
If you’re in danger right now, call 112, or 767 in Lagos. To talk to someone now, call Safe Place Nigeria on 0800 800 2000, or Lagos Lifeline on 0700 000 6463. Both are free and open 24 hours.
Why a plan helps
In a crisis, it’s hard to think clearly or remember what usually helps. A plan written in advance does that thinking for you. Clinicians use safety plans widely, and UK guidance from NICE and the NHS suggests making one.
The evidence is encouraging. In a large study in US veterans’ emergency departments, people who made a safety plan and then got follow-up phone calls showed less suicidal behaviour over the next six months than people who got usual care. A review of six studies found a similar drop in suicidal behaviour, though not in suicidal thoughts themselves. A plan isn’t a guarantee, but it’s one of the most practical things you can do.
Timing matters too. A large survey of Nigerian adults found that the risk of suicidal thoughts turning into action was highest in the first year after they began. That’s a good reason to make a plan early rather than wait.
What goes in your plan
The steps below follow a widely used approach developed by the psychologists Barbara Stanley and Gregory Brown. Write your answers in your own words.
- Your warning signs. The thoughts, feelings or situations that tend to come before a crisis. For example: not sleeping, pulling away from everyone, a certain kind of argument, the anniversary of a loss.
- Things you can do on your own. What calms you or passes the time, even a little: a walk, a shower, music, prayer, slow breathing, a film you know by heart.
- People and places that take your mind off things. A friend’s house, a busy market, a place of worship, a relative who makes you laugh.
- People you can ask for help. Two or three names and numbers. Tell them they’re on your plan and what you might need from them.
- Professionals and crisis lines. Your therapist or doctor, the crisis lines on this page, and your nearest hospital emergency unit.
- Making your surroundings safer. Agree in advance with someone you trust to keep hold of medicines, or anything else you could use to harm yourself, when things get hard.
- Your reasons for living. People, faith, plans, pets, places you want to see. Anything that matters to you, however small. If this step is hard today, leave it and come back to it.
How to make it
- Make it with someone if you can: a therapist, a doctor, or a person you trust. It’s easier to think it through together. Lagos Lifeline’s counsellors also help callers make safety plans.
- Keep it where you’ll find it: on paper, and in your phone, for example in a saved note or a message to yourself.
- Share it with at least one person on your list, so they know what to do.
- Use it step by step. If one step doesn’t help, move to the next. You can go straight to the crisis lines at any point.
- Update it as your life and your supports change.
If faith matters to you
Prayer can be one of your coping steps, and faith can be one of your reasons for living. You don’t have to choose between your faith and getting help. Our piece on answering “just pray about it” may help if your family sees it differently.
Getting support
A safety plan works best alongside ongoing support. A therapist can help you build your plan and work on what’s behind the thoughts. You can find a therapist who works with suicidal thoughts and crisis support, by video, voice or chat. Read more on our page about suicidal thoughts, or about depression.
If you’d like to know what happens at a psychiatric hospital, Yaba Left: what to expect walks through a first visit.
Suggested read: Suicide Prevention: How to Ask the Question
Help now
- In immediate danger: call 112, or 767 in Lagos, or go to the nearest hospital emergency unit.
- Safe Place Nigeria, run by the charity She Writes Woman: 0800 800 2000, toll-free, 24 hours.
- Lagos Lifeline: 0700 000 6463, or WhatsApp 0909 000 6463. Free, 24 hours, and open to callers from anywhere in Nigeria.
- More lines: our helplines page.
Frequently asked questions
What is a suicide safety plan?
A short, personal list you write in advance, to use if thoughts of suicide come. It lists your warning signs, ways to cope, people and places that help, professional and crisis contacts, how to make your surroundings safer, and your reasons for living.
Does a safety plan really help?
Studies link safety plans, especially with follow-up support, to less suicidal behaviour, including attempts. A plan isn’t a guarantee, and it works best alongside ongoing support. UK guidance from NICE and the NHS suggests making one.
Should I make my safety plan with a therapist?
If you can, yes. A therapist can help you think it through and practise it. If you can’t yet, start one on your own or with someone you trust. Lagos Lifeline’s counsellors can also help over the phone.
Who should I share my safety plan with?
At least one person on your list, so they know your warning signs and what to do. Choose someone you trust to respond calmly.
What if I’m in crisis and haven’t made a plan?
Call 112, or 767 in Lagos, if you’re in immediate danger. To talk to someone now, call Safe Place Nigeria on 0800 800 2000 or Lagos Lifeline on 0700 000 6463. Both are free and open 24 hours.
This article is awaiting clinical review. It’s based on published research and health guidelines, and we’ll update it once a clinician has reviewed it.
