Ninety per cent of people who engage in suicide-related behaviours are experiencing depression, other mental health issues, or have an addiction.
Welcome to The Reasons to go on Living Project. We are collecting the stories of people who have attempted or seriously contemplated suicide but now want to go on living. The Project will study and share these anonymous stories for research, education and inspiration.
Have you attempted suicide? Did you choose life?
If you answered “yes” to both questions, we hope you will help us with our research for The Reasons to go on Living Project.
This Project and website are dedicated to learning how people who once attempted suicide have chosen to go on living. This site is not a crisis service. If you are in crisis, click here.
In the medical profession, we do not understand the process of transition from wanting to die to wanting to live. Understanding this process is critical to improving care for people who are suicidal and it is a difficult area to research because people need to share their innermost thoughts and feelings.
We hope that by studying the stories this site is gathering, we will be able to develop better ways to help people who are suicidal. The project will help professionals who treat people who make a suicide attempt and will also offer public education and support by sharing some of the stories we receive.
If you have a story about choosing life, we hope you will share it with us. We need your story to make The Reasons to go on Living Project a success.
Your anonymity is guaranteed and your help will be invaluable.
The research project of The Reasons is now closed to new submissions.
We received stories from July 3rd, 2008-July 3rd, 2013. Thank you to all of the participants who shared their stories with us. We are grateful for your honest, thoughtful and often hopeful stories.
The website will remain open so visitors can read some of the stories that have been received. Please check back as we will post updates about the Project.
> FAQs
This website is for research and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for or entrance to professional or crisis services. For professional services please see a health care professional or seek assistance from the nearest hospital emergency department. The Reasons to go on Living Project does not warrant or guarantee that any of the contents of this site are fit for any specific purpose other than for the research and educational purposes. The Reasons to go on Living Project reserves the right to discontinue, change or modify this site at any time without notice.