Feeling Suicidal After a Breakup? Help Is Here | Crisis Resources

If you are in immediate danger, please call 911 (US) or your local emergency number right now.

If You Are in Crisis Right Now

Please reach out. Someone is waiting to help you:

United States:

• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 (available 24/7)
• Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741

International:

• International Association for Suicide Prevention: https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/
• Find a crisis line in your country: https://findahelpline.com/

You do not have to face this alone. Please reach out.

You Are Not Alone in Feeling This Way

If you are feeling suicidal after a breakup, I want you to know something important: you are not alone, and what you are feeling can change.

Millions of people have felt exactly what you are feeling right now—the crushing pain, the hopelessness, the feeling that this will never end. And they made it through. Not because they were stronger or had it easier, but because they reached out for help and held on.

This article is here to help you hold on.

Why Breakups Can Feel This Devastating

What you are experiencing is not weakness or overreaction. There are real reasons why breakup pain can feel life-threatening:

Your Brain Is in Crisis Mode

Neuroimaging studies show that romantic rejection activates the same brain regions as physical pain. Your brain literally processes this as an injury.

Multiple Losses at Once

You have not just lost a person. You have lost:

• Your daily routines and comfort
• Your plans for the future
• Part of your identity
• Your primary support person
• Your sense of being loved

This is grief on multiple levels. The pain is enormous because the loss is enormous.

Hopelessness Is a Symptom

The belief that things will never get better is a symptom of your current emotional state—not a fact about your future. When you are in crisis, your brain cannot imagine relief. But relief will come.

You May Have Been Struggling Before

Sometimes a breakup is the final straw on top of depression, anxiety, or other struggles. The breakup did not create these feelings—it exposed them. This means there is deeper help available.

These Feelings Are Temporary

This is the most important thing you need to know: this feeling will pass.

I know it does not feel that way right now. When you are in the depths of despair, it is impossible to imagine feeling any different. Your brain tells you this is forever.

But it is not.

Research on suicidal crises shows that:

• The most intense suicidal feelings typically pass within 24-48 hours
• Most people who survive a suicidal crisis are later grateful they survived
• The brain's crisis state is physiologically unsustainable—it will change

Hold on through this moment. The moment will pass.

What to Do Right Now

If you are in a dark place, here are immediate steps:

1. Tell Someone

Right now, tell one person how you are feeling. Options:

• Call a crisis line (988 in the US)
• Text a friend or family member
• Go to someone physically nearby
• Go to an emergency room

You do not have to explain everything. Just say: "I am not okay and I need help."

2. Remove Access to Means

If you have access to things that could hurt you, put distance between yourself and them:

• Give medications to someone else to hold
• Leave the location if needed
• Remove or secure anything dangerous

This is not dramatic—it is practical safety.

3. Do Not Be Alone

Crisis feelings are worse in isolation. Be with someone—anyone. If no one is physically available, stay on the phone with a crisis line.

4. Focus Only on the Next Hour

Do not think about tomorrow, next week, or the rest of your life. Your only job is to get through the next hour. Then the next.

5. Let Yourself Be Helped

If someone offers help—a friend, a crisis counselor, a hospital—let them help you. This is not the time for independence. Accept support.

Getting Through the Next 24 Hours

Your only goal right now is survival. Here is a simple plan:

Tonight

• Tell someone how you are feeling
• Do not be alone
• Avoid alcohol and substances (they worsen suicidal feelings)
• Have crisis numbers saved and accessible
• Plan to check in with someone in the morning

Tomorrow

• When you wake up, text or call your support person
• Eat something (even if you do not want to)
• Take a shower
• Go outside for even 5 minutes
• Schedule a therapy appointment or crisis follow-up

This Week

• Do not make any major decisions
• Cancel non-essential obligations
• Prioritize sleep, food, and human contact
• Follow up with professional support

Finding Professional Support

You deserve professional help right now. Here are your options:

Immediate Options

• Emergency room: If you are in immediate danger
• Crisis line: 988 (US) for support right now
• Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741

Short-Term Options

• Urgent care psychiatry: Same-day or next-day appointments
• Your doctor: Can see you quickly and provide referrals
• Crisis stabilization programs: Short-term intensive support

Ongoing Support

For finding a therapist who specializes in crisis and loss, see our guide. A therapist can help you:

• Process the breakup pain
• Address underlying depression or anxiety
• Build coping skills
• Create safety plans

It Gets Better: From Others Who Have Been There

These are real stories from people who survived suicidal crises after breakups:

"I was convinced I could not survive without him. That was five years ago. Now I am married to someone who actually treats me well, and I barely remember what that pain felt like."

"The night after my breakup, I almost did not make it. I called a crisis line at 3 AM. That call saved my life. I am so grateful I am still here."

"I thought the pain would never end. It took months, but it did end. And I learned so much about myself in the process."

"If you had told me then that I would be happy again, I would not have believed you. But here I am. Please hold on."

Your story is not over. This chapter is painful beyond words, but it is not the end.

Remember

• These feelings are temporary. The crisis will pass.
• You are not alone. Others have felt this and survived.
• Help is available. Crisis lines are free, confidential, and available 24/7.
• You deserve support. Please reach out.

988 (US) | Crisis Text Line: HOME to 741741 | Emergency: 911

For longer-term healing, our breakup recovery resources are here when you are ready.

This page contains crisis resources only. We have intentionally not included any promotional content out of respect for the seriousness of this topic.