What to Do If You Are Having Suicidal Thoughts in Pakistan

I can see that you are in a lot of pain right now, and I am here with you. Please stay with me—do not act on anything, and do not push through this alone. What you are feeling is terrifying, but it is a signal from your brain that it is overwhelmed, not that your life should end. The thoughts are not you, they are a symptom of something treatable.

The most important thing is that you do not need to figure this out alone today. Your only job right now is to make it through the next few minutes, one step at a time. Let me tell you what to do.

Tell someone close to you

Find a family member, a friend, or even a neighbour who can sit with you. Do not try to handle this yourself. Say to them in whatever words come naturally: "I'm not okay and I need help." If you cannot speak, show them this screen. Being around another person physically lowers the immediate risk. Do not worry about log kya kahenge—this is your life, and it is more important than anyone's opinion.

Use the Zara companion right now

If there is no one nearby, open the Zara companion on Depression.pk. She is part of our team and is made for exactly this moment. Talk to her, write down what you are feeling, or just let her guide you through until the worst passes. You do not need to be alone for even a minute longer than you have to be.

Remove what you could use to hurt yourself

If you have pills, a blade, a rope, or anything else nearby, step away from it. Give it to someone or put it in a locked place you cannot easily reach. This is not a sign of weakness—it is the strongest thing you can do when your mind is lying to you.

What will happen next

You need to see a psychiatrist—not just a doctor, but someone who specialises in this. Fewer than 500 psychiatrists exist for the whole country, but they are there, and they have seen this exact situation many times. The right medicine can quiet the suicidal thoughts within days. Do one thing: tomorrow morning, or now if you can, call a trusted person to take you to the nearest government hospital's psychiatry department. It will not cost much, and they will help you.

If you cannot manage that alone, write to us at Zara again, and we will guide you step by step.

For now, just breathe slowly. One breath at a time. You do not need to solve everything—just survive the next hour. You can do this.