Self-harm and suicide
![Close-up of a person with glasses looking out of a window with sunlight illuminating their face and hair from the side.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/1ce22207-0345-4e46-ba78-ff6379c3ec53/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Worry and rumination
idea
Stuck in a loop of worrying thoughts? Here’s how to stop it
Dwelling on your difficulties might feel like problem-solving, but it can be pernicious. There are tools to stop the habit
by Megan L Rogers
![Photo of a person holding a smartphone at night with blurred city lights in the background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/c48b4b7e-7091-48b8-b24e-9e6126f6031e/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Self-harm and suicide
idea
Working on a suicide helpline changed how I talk to everyone
Volunteering at a suicide helpline has changed how I talk to everyone: I listen more, assume less, and focus on the moment
by Natalia Dashan
![Photo of two people hugging on a grassy hill, one in an orange jacket and the other in a yellow sweater, with mountains in the background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/3fbf2ff1-d056-479a-b8af-795686309a4c/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Self-harm and suicide
guide
How to talk to a suicidal friend
Twice as many people worldwide die from suicide as from homicide. Here’s how to help your loved ones back from the brink
by Lindsay Weisner
![Illustration of a person in a purple shirt sitting at a table with a yellow mug, receiving a supportive hand on theirs.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/38a95c3f-210c-4005-b11f-511806444a8b/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Compassion and empathy
film
How one man saved 160 lives with an extended hand and a warm cup of tea
Directed by Alec Green and Finbar Watson
![Medieval painting of a sad woman with long hair holding a sword to her chest, with onlookers behind a wall in the background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/cb71828d-d753-4bdc-ab66-bc8a144e48b1/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
History of emotions
idea
Suicide in Medieval England was not simply a crime or sin
Like the slow engraving of an imprint on stone: compassion and care for those struggling with suicide in medieval England
by Rebecca F McNamara
![Two people sit in a grassy field, seen from behind: a white man with white hair and beard, and a Black man in a patterned shirt and hat.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/0aff1e88-c333-4d4f-9f6f-27bc0b54e7f5/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Self-harm and suicide
idea
When all looks bleak, hopebuilding strategies offer a lifeline
Hopelessness is a major link in the chain that leads to suicide. Strategies to nurture hope are key in the prevention toolkit
by Kathryn Gordon
![Abstract illustration of two people hugging while sitting by a window with gentle light coming through.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/cd54396b-98fa-4913-982e-5bf76c35214d/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Self-harm and suicide
guide
How to support someone who is self-harming
A person harming themselves is not attention-seeking but attention-needing. Reach in and show them you’re listening
by Rory O’Connor & Ellen Townsend
![A person pushing a shopping trolley along a winding path in a park at sunset, with trees, power lines, and distant city buildings in the background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/bf8c0ca8-e96e-4c96-94cc-109e7c428423/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Law and mental health
idea
Advance directives for mental illness raise deep ethical questions
Created by people with mental illness when they are well, self-binding directives anticipate a shift to unwell thinking
by Tania Gergel
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/8ee0ebf0-6472-42fe-89aa-cce32e1d5a15/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Self-harm and suicide
idea
Why poor sleep can lead to self-harm and suicide at university
Late nights plus exam pressure equals poor sleep. Is that why university students face higher risks of suicide and self-harm?
by Kirsten Russell & Donna Littlewood