Live

A List Of Reasons To Live

Most people have thought about killing themselves at some point in their lives. It’s a very normal reaction to unbearable physical or psychological pain or intolerable life circumstances. It’s also a normal response to the news that a celebrity, or someone you know, has suicided. Having thoughts of suicide is nothing to worry about. It’s how you respond to the thoughts that matter.

I have often been asked to give someone one good reason to go on living.  The problem with that question is what one person thinks is a good reason to live will not seem anywhere near good enough to another person.

In 1983 the Journal of Counseling and Clinical Psychology (Vol 51, No 2) published a study conducted by Linehan, Goodstein, Nielsen & Chiles which contained a list of reasons people gave for continuing to live when they were considering suicide.

Here is the list of reasons people gave in that study.  Some of them may give you food for thought or a reason to live you never thought about before.  I hope so.  Reason number one is the reason I would most encourage you to work towards making your own. 

You may have reasons not listed here; reasons you think might help someone carry on living in the face of despair.  

Please feel free to add your suggestion to the “Reasons To Live Wall“.  I have added one of my own reasons for living that were not included in the above list.

Yes, I have been suicidal.  You can read about my own battle with suicide here.

Reasons To Live When You Are Thinking About Killing Yourself

  • I care enough about myself to live
  • I believe I can find other solutions to my problems
  • I still have many things left to do
  • I have hope that things will improve and the future will be happier
  • I have the courage to face life
  • I want to experience all that life has to offer and there are many experiences I haven’t had yet which I want to have
  • I believe everything has a way of working out for the best
  • I believe I can find a purpose in life, a reason to live
  • I have a love of life
  • No matter how badly I feel I know that it will not last
  • Life is too beautiful and precious to end it
  • I am happy and content with my life
  • I am curious about what will happen in the future
  • I see no reason to hurry death along
  • I believe I can learn to adjust or cope with my problems
  • I believe killing myself would not really accomplish or solve anything
  • I have a desire to live
  • I am too stable to kill myself
  • I have future plans I am looking forward to carrying out
  • I do not believe that things get miserable or hopeless enough that I would rather be dead
  • I do not want to die
  • Life is all we have and is better than nothing
  • I believe I have control over my life and destiny
  • It would hurt my family too much and I would not want them to suffer
  • I would not want my family to feel guilty afterwards
  • I would not want my family to think I was selfish or a coward
  • My family depends on me and needs me
  • I love and enjoy my family too much and could not leave them
  • My family might believe I did not love them
  • I have a responsibility and commitment to my family
  • The effect on my children could be harmful
  • It would not be fair to leave the children for others to take care of
  • I want to watch my children as they grow
  • I am afraid of the actual ‘act’ of killing myself (the pain, blood, violence)
  • I am a coward and do not have the guts to do it
  • I am so inept that my method would not work
  • I am afraid that my method of killing myself would fail
  • I am afraid of the unknown
  • I am afraid of death
  • I could not decide where, when and how to do it
  • Other people would think I am weak and selfish
  • I would not want people to think I did not have control over my life
  • I am concerned about what others would think of me
  • My religious beliefs forbid it
  • I believe only God has the right to end a life
  • I consider it morally wrong
  • I am afraid of going to hell