Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration
September 10, 2015
Just Released: Handbook for Recovery After a Suicide Attempt
A Journey Toward Health & Hope: Your Handbook for Recovery After a Suicide Attempt can now be ordered and downloaded from the SAMHSA Store. This new booklet is designed to help people who have attempted suicide take their first steps toward healing and recovery. Tools and stories in the booklet come from first-hand experiences of individuals who have survived a suicide attempt and their supporters. It is the hope of the writers that their personal knowledge about the challenges of suicide attempts and the steps to successfully recover will help readers learn they are not alone, how to develop hope, and most importantly, how to stay safe in challenging times.
Allowing the reader to move at his or her own pace, the booklet speaks to questions such as, “How did I get to this point?” and “Am I the only one who feels this way?” The booklet also includes evidence-based information on:
- Taking the first steps: Talking with others about your attempt, re-establishing connections, planning to stay safe, and finding a counselor
- Moving toward a hopeful future: Finding and maintaining hope, staying in control by being organized, taking medication, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle
- Using practical, personalized tools, such as a Safety Plan
- Finding online resources for more information.
A Guide for Taking Care of Yourself After Your Treatment in the Emergency Department
Gives support for people recovering from a suicide attempt. Discusses how to move ahead after emergency department treatment for a suicide attempt and how to cope with thoughts of suicide. Lists information resources for suicide and mental illness.