This was posted by a friend on Facebook, reposting here as related to the topic:

TW: deep despair, ideation of self harm

 

One time I was messaging with someone who was in a crisis and they said something like

 

“I don’t have the will to live” and I said something like

“when you hold your breath what happens next?”

They said

“I don’t know, you run out of oxygen?”

 

And I said “whether you hold your breath a long time or a short time, when you hold your breath different feelings will occur…

 

You may feel pressure in your throat

You may feel tightness in your ribs

You may feel burning in your lungs

You may look around  to see if anyone is noticing

You may feel restless

You may feell confusion about what’s happening (even tho you chose it)

 

These are all feelings and you may think aboit each or some of them too

 

But what HAPPENS NEXT is always: you breathe again”

 

❤️ And i think that’s true in life, too

 

Lots of things can cross your mind and be felt and thought and feelings and thoughts can cycle with one anotherr almost perpetually

 

But what HAPPENS NEXT IS your body

 

does what it needs to in order to keep you going

 

Sometimes, your body needs you to follow its cue,

Instead of asking IT to follow your feelings or your thoughts

 

Be well, my friends

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

 

You are loved 🥰

Take a breath

… And another