Talking online about self-harm and suicide

You may choose to include a content, trigger or advisory warning on your post.

A trigger warning is a statement at the start of your post that alerts other users that the post may contain distressing content. The trigger warning should be positioned at the beginning of your post so readers can make an informed decision about whether or not they continue to read the post. It should also include a link or information on available support services.

If your post contains images, photos or videos, you should consider providing a trigger warning first and posting the content in the comment section or feed below so that other users can decide whether they want to see your post or not.

Remember to check your post for any unhelpful language, descriptions, images or graphic references to self-harm or suicide and remove them before you publish your post.

If you decide to 'post' about your experience with current or previous suicidal thoughts, feelings or behaviour online, consider that other people in your life who don’t know about your experiences might find this out as a result of your post.

You may also receive a mixture of both positive and negative responses. Think about what aspects of your personal experience you wish to disclose and remember that you don’t have to 'share' everything. Only disclose the personal details you feel comfortable letting others know about and leave out any information you would not want everyone you have ever met, or will ever meet, to know about you.