8 Reasons To Live, From Someone Who's Been There - Healthline

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7 Reasons to Live, from a Text Crisis Counselor Who’s Been There Before

Medically reviewed by Tiffany Taft, PsyD — Written by Crystal Raypole — Updated on February 21, 2025

The key thing to remember is this: As long as you’re alive, you have the chance to make changes, learn from the past, and grow as a person. Here are 7 reasons to live from someone who’s been through it.

Depression and other kinds of emotional distress can knock you down and keep you flat. When crawling through this fog of hopelessness and despair, it’s often tough to visualize what’s ahead.

People in pain — physical or emotional — generally want to do whatever they can to stop that pain. If you can’t see any clear path to improving your situation, suicide might seem like the only method of relief.

First, know there’s no shame in suicidal thoughts. It’s normal to want to stop hurting. It’s also common to feel irritable — even resentful — when people with good intentions try to tell you why suicide isn’t the answer.

When you’ve reached your limit, it doesn’t mean much to hear:

“You have so much to live for.”
“So many people care about you.”
“Tomorrow’s a new day.”

As someone who’s experienced both mental health crises and suicidal thoughts, I know firsthand how empty and meaningless these words can seem.

My own experiences guided me to a career in mental health writing and inspired me to become a text crisis counselor. I’ve been where you are now. I know how it feels. And I know how much it matters to hear from someone who really does get it.

Help is out there

If you or someone you know is in crisis and considering suicide or self-harm, please seek support:

Call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. Caring counselors are available to listen and provide free and confidential support 24/7.
Text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 to connect with a volunteer crisis counselor for free and confidential support 24/7.
Not in the United States? Find a helpline in your country with Befrienders Worldwide.
Call 911 or your local emergency services number if you feel safe to do so.

If you’re calling on behalf of someone else, stay with them until help arrives. You may remove weapons or substances that can cause harm if you can do so safely.

If you’re not in the same household, stay on the phone with them until help arrives.

1. You’re not as alone as you feel

I’ve spoken to people in crisis who truly believed no one cared about them, making them feel ashamed or afraid to open up. This just made them withdraw even more.

It may seem like everyone has their own preoccupations keeping them busy. In reality, people often just don’t know what’s going on in your head. But if they did, chances are they’d be more than happy to lend a listening ear or help you find the support you need.

Hotlines can be a lifesaving tool, but they’re not for everyone. Luckily, they aren’t your only option.

2. It’s hard to see solutions when in distress

When you’re in the middle of a crisis, that’s usually the only thing you can see.

Again, the desire to avoid pain is completely normal. And when you feel consumed by it, suicide often seems like the most efficient way to get relief.

You might feel pretty bleak right now, but note those key words:“right now.”

This is a prime example of tunnel vision — or the tendency to only see one possible outcome in a given situation. The problem with tunnel vision is that it lies.

Whether you’re lonely, facing abuse, about to become jobless or homeless, or anything else, no situation is impossible. There may be solutions you just can’t see yet, and that’s why it’s so important to give yourself some time.

3. Nothing in life is final — until it’s over

In a crisis, you might feel trapped because you don’t see any way out. You might think you’ve blown your chance to have the life you wanted or permanently lost a friendship that really mattered to you.

Thoughts of suicide often stem from desperation and helplessness, but these feelings don’t have to be permanent states of being.

When your emotions threaten to overwhelm you, get some distance by focusing on the facts instead.

Here are two important ones to start with:

Emotions aren’t permanent: No matter how isolated, hopeless, angry, or lost you feel right now, you won’t always feel that way. Emotions come and go, and you can learn how to better manage them.
Situations can change: Maybe you messed up or made the wrong choice. But continuing your life gives you the power to take back control over the circumstances and improve them.

4. You can make life more meaningful

Perhaps you live with physical or mental health symptoms that affect your quality of life. Or maybe you have a hard time recognizing what’s gone right — or even well — in your life.

Giving up can feel easier when life seems pointless. But just as pain keeps you from seeing solutions, it can also pull the joy and significance from the things that used to matter.

Your life does have meaning, though. Challenge yourself to discover this meaning — or create it for yourself. It may not be large or earth-shattering, but it’s still there. Consider skills, abilities, and other things you take pride in. Think about your connections with others or goals you once had.

5. Mistakes don’t have to define you

It’s common to lash out when you’re struggling, to do or say things you don’t mean. The pain you cause can make you believe the people you hurt are better off without you, which can intensify suicidal thinking.

But consider this: They wouldn’t feel hurt if they didn’t care. Let this be proof that they care, and let it give you strength to apologize, make amends, or work on repairing the friendship.

Try opening up about the darkness you’re feeling. Not everyone knows anger and irritability often show up as a symptom of depression or other mental health conditions.

Everyone messes up sometimes, and feeling bad about your mistakes shows you want to do better.

Giving yourself the chance to repair your mistakes allows you to prove you can, in fact, do better — even if you’re just proving that to yourself. Your relationship with yourself is the first one you’ll want to mend, after all.

6. Time does help lessen pain

You’ll often hear suicide described as a permanent solution to temporary struggles.

I don’t love this description, because not all problems are temporary. Time doesn’t erase your experiences or change events. If you’ve lost a loved one or experienced trauma, you’ll continue to carry that grief.

Things really will improve, though you’ll probably have to work at it. Your future may look a little different from what you envisioned, since not all damage can be repaired.

But even when you can’t repair the damage, your experiences can still lead you to a rewarding future. The only catch? You have to give life a chance to surprise you.

7. The future isn’t set in stone

Life takes courage. Period.

It’s scary to live with unknowns, to wake up each day unsure of what it holds. Considering all the possibilities and potential pitfalls that lie ahead can terrify you into never taking a step.

But the truth is, you just don’t know what lies ahead. No one does. Things might get worse — but they could easily get better. Considering challenges you might face allows you to plan for them.

Takeaway

And finally, hold on because you matter. However low you’re feeling, remember this.

Life — and people — can always change, and you deserve another chance. Your life deserves another chance.

When you look back a few years down the line (because you will make it through this moment), you might find it hard to recall exactly how unhappy you were. Your experience with the dark and ugly aspects of life will help you notice light and beauty more easily — and give you more capacity to enjoy them.

There’s still hope, as long as you’re still here. So, stay here. Keep learning. Keep growing. You’ve got this.

Crystal Raypole has previously worked as a writer and editor for GoodTherapy. Her fields of interest include Asian languages and literature, Japanese translation, cooking, natural sciences, sex positivity, and mental health. In particular, she’s committed to helping decrease stigma around mental health issues.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Routledge C, et al. (2021).https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7842113/
Risk factors and warning signs. (n.d.).https://afsp.org/risk-factors-and-warning-signs

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Medically reviewed by Tiffany Taft, PsyD — Written by Crystal Raypole — Updated on February 21, 2025

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