suicidal thoughts? 3 day rules

suicidal thoughts? 3 day rules

What If 3 Days Go By and Suicide Still Beckons?

Time does not heal all wounds, especially not quickly. The 3-day rule aside, I do not mean to imply that you should end your life if you still feel acutely suicidal after three days.

In some ways, 3 days is a long time. A lot can happen. Feelings can change. Perspective can change.

Getting a good night’s sleep during those 3 days, or talking with a friend or suicide hotline, or simply surfing the waves of moods, can weaken the suicidal impulse.

In other ways, 3 days is hardly a blip on the radar screen of an entire life. If after 3 days you still are intent on dying, please get help.

Reach out to others, whether someone you know or a stranger at hotline or online. For a list of places where you can get help anonymously, you can start here.

What Next?

Even if you follow the 3-day rule and no longer feel adamantly that suicide is your only option, the suicidal thoughts might still persist or revisit.

Ultimately, to survive suicide’s assault, more is needed than waiting.

You might need to uncover reasons for living. Tapping into hope and rediscovering pleasure can also help.

More than anything, talking back to suicidal thoughts and learning to cope with them can fortify you in your fight against suicidal forces.

A Good Starting Place

The 3-day rule is a good place to start. Not only can it save your life, it can also show you with amazing clarity that suicidal thoughts can waver in their intensity.

Those 3 days can demonstrate that at least the strength of suicidal thoughts, if not suicidal thoughts themselves, can be temporary.

Suicidal thoughts can change, as can you, your mood, and your life.