Are you having suicidal thoughts right now, or is there immediate danger?

In the Netherlands, call 113 (0800-0113, free, 24/7), chat via 113.nl or call your GP out-of-hours service. In case of acute danger, call 112. Outside the Netherlands, contact your local emergency number or an international helpline via findahelpline.com.

Complaint

Suicidal thoughts

Thoughts about death or about no longer wanting to live occur in more people than most of us realise. They are not a sign of weakness, and they do not mean you are crazy. They are a signal that you are carrying more pain right now than you can bear. That deserves attention, not judgement.

What are suicidal thoughts?

Suicidal thoughts is the umbrella term for thoughts about ending your life, no longer wanting to exist, or wishing it would all stop. They can take very different forms:

✓Passive thoughts: 'I wish I wasn't here' or 'They'd be better off without me'
✓Active thoughts about a method or a moment
✓A feeling that the world would be better off without you
✓Fantasising about death as rest or a solution

Not all suicidal thoughts are equally urgent. But no thought is too small to talk about.

How common are they?

Suicidal thoughts are far more common than most people know. Research by the Trimbos Institute shows that more than 900,000 people in the Netherlands have suicidal thoughts each year. Many of them never talk about it, out of shame or fear of how others will react.

Source: Trimbos Institute, National Monitor of Mental Health 2023. Each year around 1,800 people in the Netherlands die by suicide; an estimated 113,000 people make an attempt.

What causes suicidal thoughts?

There is almost never a single cause. Suicidal thoughts usually arise when several things become too heavy at the same time:

✓Severe depression, burn-out or an anxiety disorder
✓Major loss or trauma (grief, divorce, abuse)
✓Loneliness and the feeling of not belonging
✓Financial problems or unemployment
✓Chronic pain or serious illness
✓Substance use (alcohol, drugs)
✓A sense of hopelessness: that it will never get better

PsyIntake is not the right place for this

PsyIntake offers intake consultations for people who want to explore what kind of help suits them. With active suicidal thoughts, that is not the first step. Right now, today, you need contact with someone who specialises in crisis support.

That does not mean there is no help. It means you are being pointed to the right place.

113 Suicide Prevention

Free, anonymous, 24/7. Call: 113 or 0800-0113. Chat: 113.nl (English support available).

https://www.113.nl/english

GP or GP out-of-hours service

Call your GP. Outside office hours: the GP out-of-hours service in your region. They can refer you to crisis care.

Mental health crisis service

Every region in the Netherlands has a 24-hour crisis service. Your GP or the out-of-hours service can refer you.

112

Call 112 in case of immediate and acute danger to yourself or others.

International helplines

Outside the Netherlands, find a helpline in your country and language.

https://findahelpline.com

What if the thoughts are less acute?

Do you have suicidal thoughts that are not acute, but that keep coming back as a signal that things are not going well? Then psychological support is an important step. A psychologist can help with the underlying issues (depression, trauma, loneliness) that feed these thoughts.

Start with your GP. They can refer you to a psychologist or mental health service and assess whether there is urgency.

Find a psychologist

If someone close to you is having suicidal thoughts

Ask directly: "Are you having thoughts of harming yourself?" Asking that question helps. It gives the other person room to be honest and does not increase the risk of suicide.

✓Listen without judging or minimising
✓Take it seriously, even if you think it is exaggerated
✓Stay with the person if there is immediate danger
✓Help them get in touch with 113 or their GP
✓Seek support for yourself too: it is hard to see someone suffer like this

Need help right now?

113 (0800-0113): free, 24/7, call or chat via 113.nl
GP out-of-hours service: outside your own GP's office hours
112: in case of acute danger
findahelpline.com: helplines outside the Netherlands