The following information is not meant as a substitute for qualified professional advice. 

Suicide

Suicide is the reaction of extremely intense feelings of loneliness, worthlessness, hopelessness, or depression, which involves voluntarily taking one's own life.

If you or someone you know is in suicidal crisis or emotional distress, please call dial 988 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, a free 24-hour hotline. In the case of a life-threatening emergency, please call 9-1-1 or visit your nearest emergency room.

Risk Factors

  • A prior suicide attempt

  • Depression and other mental health disorders

  • Substance abuse disorder

  • Family history of a mental health or substance abuse disorder

  • Family history of suicide

  • Family violence, including physical or sexual abuse

  • Having guns or other firearms in the home

  • Being in prison or jail

  • Being exposed to others’ suicidal behavior, such as a family member, peer, or media figure

  • Medical illness

  • Being between the ages of 15 and 24 years or over age 60

Remember

Children and youth involved in bullying are more likely than those not involved in bullying to suffer from depression, have high suicidal thoughts, and make more suicidal attempts. However, bullying does not cause suicide. 

Signs of Suicide

70% of all people who die by suicide give some warning of their intentions to a friend or family member. Look below at some things you can look for if you think someone is having suicidal thoughts.

This is both direct (ex. “I’ve decided to kill myself”) and indirect (ex. “I’m tired of life –What is the point of going on”). This may include talking, writing, or even joking about suicide or death.

Verbal Cues

  • “Life isn’t worth living.”

  • “You’ll be sorry when I’m gone.”

  • “I’d be better off dead.”

  • “I feel like there is no way out.”

  • “My family would be better off without me.”

  • “Next time I will take enough pills to do the job right.”

  • “You can take my (prized collection/valuables) - I don’t need this stuff anymore.”

  • “I won’t be around to deal with that.”

  • “I won’t be in your way much longer.”

  • “I just can’t deal with everything - life is too hard.”

  • “Nobody understands me - nobody feels the way I do.”

  • “There’s nothing I can do to make it better.”

Behavioral Cues

  • Getting affairs in order (ex., paying a debt, updating a will, taking out insurance, or changing beneficiaries)

  • Giving away prized possessions or money

  • Signs of planning a suicide (ex., buying a weapon, obtaining poisons or medications)

  • Making funeral plans

  • Increase in self-destructive or violent behaviors (ex., drinking alcohol or drug use)

  • Social Withdrawal

  • Increased impulsivity & taking unnecessary risks

Emotional Cues

  • Unrelenting low mood

  • Pessimism

  • Hopelessness

  • Desperation

  • Anxiety, psychic pain, and inner tension

  • Rage or anger

  • Possible calm or contentment after a person decides they are going to end their life

If you or someone you know is in suicidal crisis or emotional distress, please call dial 988 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, a free 24-hour hotline. In the case of a life-threatening emergency, please call 9-1-1 or visit your nearest emergency room.

Getting Support

If someone you know shows signs of suicidal thoughts or you suspect is considering suicide, please take the concern seriously!

Be ready and willing to listen: ASK.

Give yourself plenty of time for conversation and let them know you are concerned for the individual. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to ASK them directly if they have had thoughts of suicide.

Help them seek professional help: PERSUADE

Listen and encourage the individual to seek professional help as soon as possible.

Help them find a mental health professional: REFER.

You can dial 988 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to find resources near you, contact their primary care professional, or call 911 to get them the professional help they deserve.

Things to Avoid:

  • Don’t tell your loved one to “snap out of it” or “cheer up.”

  • Don’t assume that the situation will fix itself

  • Don’t promise to keep secrets

  • Don’t argue or debate on moral issues

  • Don’t risk your personal safety

The information above was disseminated by published material from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Mayo Clinic, “Question, Persuade, Refer” by Paul Quinnett, Screening for Mental Health Inc., Missouri Department of Mental Health, Division of Comprehensive Psychiatric Services, Stopbullying.gov, Screening for Mental Health, Inc., National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the Suicide Prevention Lifeline. 

Students who experienced bullying or cyberbullying are nearly 2 times more likely to attempt suicide, 

(Hinduja & Patchin, 2018)

Coping With Suicide

Suicide is very complex. While it is true that suicidal individuals have problems just like you and me, these individuals, at that moment, feel completely overwhelmed and unable to handle them. For these individuals, suicide feels like a solution to a problem or many unsolvable problems..

Grief Following Suicide

A loved one’s suicide may trigger certain intense emotions, including:

Shock: Disbelief and emotional numbness, or feelings that your loved one’s suicide is not real.

Anger: You may feel like your loved one abandoned you or left you with overwhelming grief, or you are angry for missing signs of suicidal intentions.

Guilt: You might think about “What if?” scenarios and blame yourself for your loved one’s death.

Despair: You might be gripped by sadness, loneliness, or helplessness, and/or you may consider suicide yourself.

These intense emotions may continue during the weeks and months following a loved one’s suicide, including nightmares, flashbacks, difficulty concentrating, social withdrawal, and loss of interest in usual activities.

If you or someone you know is in a suicidal crisis or emotional distress, please dial 988 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, a free 24-hour hotline. In the case of a life-threatening emergency, please call 9-1-1 or visit your nearest emergency room.

Coping Strategies

Keeping in Touch: Reach out to other loved ones, friends, and/or spiritual leaders for comfort and overall healing. Surround yourself with those who will listen and offer a shoulder to lean on.

Grieve In Your Own Way: Do what is right for you, not what someone else may do (i.e., if it is too painful to visit your loved one’s gravesite or share details about the death, wait until you are ready).

Be Prepared for Painful Reminders: Anniversaries, holidays, and other special occasions can bring on painful reminders about your loved one’s death. Don’t punish yourself for being sad or mournful. You may want to think about changing or suspending family traditions.

Don’t Rush Yourself: Losing someone to suicide can cause tremendous pain, and healing must occur at its own pace.

Expect Setbacks: Some days will be better than others, even many years after a loved one’s death – and that’s okay. Healing doesn’t happen in a straight line.

Consider a Support Group: Sharing your story with others experiencing that same grief may help you find inner strength and purpose.

If you experience intense/unrelenting anguish or physical problems, ask your doctor or mental health professional for help.

The information above was disseminated by published material from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Mayo Clinic, “Question, Persuade, Refer” by Paul Quinnett, Screening for Mental Health Inc., Missouri Department of Mental Health, Division of Comprehensive Psychiatric Services, & Stopbullying.gov, Screening for Mental Health, Inc., World Health Organization (2014).

Immediate Crisis Hotlines

If you or someone you know is in suicidal crisis or emotional distress, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 9-8-8, a free 24-hour hotline. In the case of a life-threatening emergency, call 9-1-1 or visit your nearest emergency room. Below is an additional list of crisis resources.