01/07/2023
Survival Kit -
A Way of Empowering Oneself
I want you to create for yourself a survival kit. This kit is to contain things that you think will be helpful at a time when you are struggling with painful or suicidal thoughts. I want you to put those objects in a box – a shoe box will do – and put the box in a place where it is easy for you to get at when you need it, such as your clothes closet shelf. I will give you some suggestions of things you might want to consider placing in your survival kit, the sort of things that other people have used in their kits. You could put in pictures of your family, those whom you love and who love and sustain you, those for whom it is important to go on living. You could place in your kit some letters written by loved ones or even a letter to yourself reminding you of all the things that are valuable and worth living for. You could place a few small especially cherished objects into your kit. You might want to put in a small teapot and tea-bag as a reminder to make yourself a cup of tea before you take any action that might cause harm. A chocolate bar might help, what’s your favorite? You could make a cassette tape of your favorite songs, the ones that give you a sense of meaning and hope - a long enough time to listen through that your self-destructive thoughts would have time to pass. A book of poems or meditations that help you to have perspective could go into the kit. Some people who value their religious faith have written out verses and prayers from holy books, perhaps even had a priest or holy person help them come up with things to read and meditate on that would be meaningful at such a time. You might want to put in a phone list of support people who would be willing to talk with you at such a time. Write down the phone numbers of the local distress line and the emergency department of a nearby hospital. These are just a few ideas, you can come up with your own. When you put your kit together you will be telling yourself that your life is worth sustaining. The very act of assembling the kit is a strong and positive message to yourself – your life is important enough that you will put the time and resources into building the kit. Assemble your kit soon, sometime within the next couple of days when you feel strong enough. You do not have to wait until all your problems are resolved, just do it at a time when you are in touch to some extent with your own worth and hopefulness.
When you see the kit on the shelf you will be reminded that you value your life enough to prepare for the bad times.
When you pull the kit off the shelf, and drink your tea and eat your chocolate bar and look at the pictures of those you love and some of the objects that you especially cherish, you will again remind yourself that at times your life does have meaning and purpose.
Once you have your kit together, keep an eye open for other things that would make sense to go in there. You can keep extending the contents of your kit, making it more and more you. Each time you add something new you remind yourself of the importance of sustaining your life. Soon after you have used the kit replenish the consumables so it is ready to go again.
(Wilson, T. (1992). Tool Kit. Psychologists Association of Alberta. 2, 10-11.
