22 Interviews With People Struggling With Suicidal Ideation

We have interviewed 22 people who have struggled with suicidal ideation. These stories are full of inspiring tips on how to deal with these feelings. Please allow these stories to be a beacon of hope for you, and know that there is always a way out.

Most recent stories of people struggling with suicidal ideation

How Therapy, Medication and Baking Help Me Navigate Depression and OCD

How Therapy, Medication and Baking Help Me Navigate Depression and OCD

April 18, 2024
Helped by: Medication, Self-improvement, Therapy, Treatment
My Journey to Self-Compassion Amidst Depression, Anxiety and Suicidal Thoughts

My Journey to Self-Compassion Amidst Depression, Anxiety and Suicidal Thoughts

March 19, 2024
Helped by: Self-acceptance, Self-improvement, Therapy
How Sobriety, Therapy, and Self-Care Help Me Navigate BPD and Bipolar Disorder Better

How Sobriety, Therapy, and Self-Care Help Me Navigate BPD and Bipolar Disorder Better

March 5, 2024
Helped by: Exercise, Religion, Self-Care, Self-improvement, Social support, Therapy

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Are you struggling with suicidal thoughts?

I’ve interviewed 22 people struggling with suicidal ideation, and here are the top 5 most mentioned tips that helped these people overcome it:

  1. Therapy (13 people helped)
  2. Social support (12 people helped)
  3. Self-improvement (10 people helped)
  4. Reinventing yourself (9 people helped)
  5. Medication (6 people helped)

In our many years of publishing helpful mental health content, we always received questions from our readers about specific situations. While we have a lot of helpful tips to share on how to be happier, we simply can’t offer advice for every situation.

That’s why I’ve set out to interview folks with every type of mental health struggle. My job as an interviewer is to categorize these interviews and present them in a way that is most helpful to our readers.

Read all the case studies

MaryAddison Yates Featured Image

Case studies

How the 12-Step Program and Therapy Helped Me Deal With Addiction, Depression & ADHD

“I met my future husband when I was 26 but I never felt truly connected to him. I felt just as invisible to him as I did to everyone else. When we decided we wanted to have children, by some miracle, I was able to abstain from drinking just before and during my pregnancy. I coped by being very controlling, a shopaholic, and a workaholic. The twins were born when I was 31 and postpartum depression led me back to the only solution I thought I had: drinking”

Struggled with:
Addiction
ADHD
Anxiety
Depression
Panic attacks
Suicidal

Helped by:
Rehab
Reinventing yourself
Self-Care

Therapy
Treatment

Andrea Blindt Featured Image

Case studies

Successfully Battling Depression and Tragedy Upon Tragedy to Find Happiness

“The pregnancy ended up being even more high risk than my prior ones and I was placed in the hospital for six weeks. Depression and anxiety returned as my young daughter bounced between family and friends during my absence. I missed her terribly and my body ached without her presence, but I pushed forward knowing that each day I stayed pregnant brought us one day closer to our baby.”

Struggled with:
Anxiety
Childhood
Depression
Grief
Panic attacks
Suicidal

Helped by:
Reinventing yourself
Self-improvement
Therapy
Treatment

Jonathan Featured Image 2

Case studies

My Journey From Alcoholism to 1 Year Into Sobriety and Better Mental Health

“Being sober or being ‘okay’ isn’t about becoming perfect. A lot of people expect to look better or earn more or fall in love and so on. Sure, it can happen – but those are not pillars to build yourself on, because they can fade. You need to do an inventory with yourself or a therapist, look into who you are that brings you such shame or guilt, and start confronting that.”

Struggled with:
Addiction
CPTSD
Depression
Eating disorder
Suicidal

Helped by:
Rehab
Reinventing yourself

Haeun Featured Image 1

Case studies

My 10-Year Journey of Overcoming PTSD and Hatred After Sexual Assault

“Don’t hate yourself for the trauma. The path to happiness is not a single one. There are many ways to be happy so the impossibility to turn back time before trauma does not mean you can never be happy. You can be happy again. You can trust others again. Don’t lose your hope to survive. Someday, you will be thankful for your past self who did not give up your life.”

Struggled with:
Assault
Autism
Hate
PTSD
Suicidal

Helped by:
Medication
Religion

Therapy

Rodrigo Interview Featured Image (2)

Case studies

How Hitting Rock Bottom Started My Journey of Healing From BPD and Addiction

“Do you know how hard it is to be friends with a person who wants to kill themselves then 5 minutes later they’re ok? It’s draining. Well, I am that person. The struggle impacts me daily, however, last Saturday I had an epiphany that I’ve been working on and the days seem to be getting better.”

Struggled with:
Abuse
Addiction
Borderline Personality Disorder
Childhood
Paranoid Personality Disorder
Suicidal

Helped by:
Music
Self-acceptance

Ron Blake Interview Featured Image 1

Case studies

From Surviving Rape and PTSD to Becoming A Story Of Inspiration And Determination

“Shortly after the trauma, I started to isolate myself from the world. Experiencing anger with just about everything and everyone. Those closest to me sensed something was wrong. I knew something was wrong. But I was not able to identify what it was. Nor could anyone else. I continued to spiral out of control.”

Struggled with:
Abuse
Assault
PTSD
Suicidal

Helped by:
Reinventing yourself

Wendy Yehia Interview Featured Image 1

Case studies

How I Beat My Mom Guilt & Post-Partum Depression By Never Giving Up Despite Setbacks

“I tried to keep a smile on my face and pretend all was great, but deep inside, I had this sadness, bitterness, and anger. I was in denial that something was wrong, and in my mind, if I admitted it, it would confirm what I knew all along. That I was a failure at being a mom. I even compared myself with other moms. Imagine that! I tried to hide it from the world.”

Struggled with:
Anxiety
Postpartum depression
Suicidal

Helped by:
Reinventing yourself
Self-improvement

Case studies

How I Overcame a Road Accident That Resulted in Depression and Suicidal Ideation

“I skidded on my face and tore ligaments in my knee and shoulder. Other injuries include several broken bones in my pelvis and my skull had a fracture from my hairline to the top of my head. It took several stitches to close up a head wound. I sustained a contrecoup head injury.”

Struggled with:
Bipolar Disorder
Depression
Suicidal
Traumatic Brain Injury

Helped by:
Medication
Religion
Self-improvement
Therapy