When to seek outside support

Check what is true

• Getting through an ordinary day has felt genuinely hard for weeks, not just uncomfortable.
• You've had thoughts of hurting yourself, or that others would be better off without you.
• You've tried the tools in this book honestly, more than once, and the pain hasn't moved at all.
• Someone who knows you well has said they're worried, more than once.
• You've been leaning on alcohol or substances to get through feelings this book asks you to face directly.
• What you're carrying involves ongoing harm or an unsafe situation, not just a painful memory.