Suicidal Thoughts

When is it time to get help?

Thoughts of suicide or attempting suicide are two things that should not be taken lightly. If you or a loved one are having these thoughts, please seek treatment immediately. A licensed counsellor can help and recommend the correct types of therapy.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, this is an emergency – please call 911 or proceed to your nearest emergency room.

For immediate help outside of our office hours, throughout Alberta, please call 211 or one of the following distress lines:

• Edmonton and area: 780 482 HELP (4357)
• Calgary and area: 403 266 HELP (4357)
• Rural Distress Line (Alberta wide) 1-800-232-7288

Treatment methods for dealing with suicidal thoughts

There are several effective treatment methods for dealing with the cause of suicidal thoughts. Your therapist will discuss with you the best options for your individual circumstance, depending on what’s causing you to think about or consider suicide. Some treatment methods that are typically successful in treating depression and other mental health issues include:

• Behavioural therapy tends to view human beings and behaviour with the assumption that humans are a product of their sociocultural conditioning and environment, looking at the current problems and the factors influencing them and emphasizes behaviour changes more than the underlying unconscious processes.
• Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based approach to treatment that focuses on how people’s thoughts, emotions, and beliefs influence their behaviour and how they perceive themselves.
• Person centered therapy differs from more traditional therapeutic approaches in the belief that, while the therapist has expertise in many areas, the client is the expert on themselves and their lived experiences. People are essentially trustworthy and have a vast potential for understanding themselves while also being able to ultimately resolve their own problems when guided properly.
• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is an approach that works to help the brain process information, memories, sounds, and feelings in a way that makes them be seen in a new and less distressing way.