According to government data, 70% of people who commit suicide tell someone about their plans, or give some other type of warning signs. Over 30,000 Americans die each year due to suicide, but over 800,000 Americans attempt suicide. While women attempt suicide three times more than men, men are nearly four times more likely to be successful.
You may be in a position to help someone get help before they take the one action that cannot be taken back.
Warning signs of suicide are not difficult to spot, but professionals differentiate between someone who simply has a passing thought of suicide or ending his or her own life, and someone who is more serious and has a definite plan. You don’t have to know how serious a person is in order to help them, though.
Friends and family who are close to an individual are in the best position to spot these warning signs. Often times people feel helpless in dealing with someone who is depressed or suicidal. Usually it is helpful to encourage the person to seek professional mental health help from a therapist, psychiatrist, school counselor, or even telling their family doctor about their feelings. Your friend or loved one needs to know you’re there for them, that you care and you will support them no matter what. Remember, depression is a treatable mental disorder, it’s not something you can “catch” or a sign of personal weakness.
Some Suicide Warning Signs
Have you ever heard someone say two or more of the following?
- Life isn’t worth living
- My family (or friends or girlfriend/boyfriend) would be better off without me
- Next time I’ll take enough pills to do the job right
- Take my prized collection or valuables — I don’t need this stuff anymore
- Don’t worry, I won’t be around to deal with that
- You’ll be sorry when I’m gone
- I won’t be in your way much longer
- I just can’t deal with everything — life’s too hard
- I won’t be a burden much longer
- Nobody understands me — nobody feels the way I do
- There’s nothing I can do to make it better
- I’d be better off dead
- I feel like there is no way out
- You’d be better off without me
Have you noticed them doing one or more of the following activities?
- Getting affairs in order (paying off debts, changing a will)
- Giving away articles of either personal or monetary value
- Signs of planning a suicide such as obtaining a weapon or writing a suicide note
Suicide is one of the most serious symptoms of someone who is suffering from severe depression. Common signs of depression include:
- Depressed or sad mood (e.g., feeling “blue” or “down in the dumps”)
- A change in the person’s sleeping patterns (e.g., sleeping too much or too little, or having difficulty sleeping the night through)
- A significant change in the person’s weight or appetite
- Speaking and/or moving with unusual speed or slowness
- Loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities (e.g., hobbies, outdoor activities, hanging around with friends)
- Withdrawal from family and friends
- Fatigue or loss of energy
- Diminished ability to think or concentrate, slowed thinking or indecisiveness
- Feelings of worthlessness, self-reproach, or guilt
- Thoughts of death, suicide, or wishes to be dead
Sometimes somebody who is trying to cope with depression on their own will be seen turning to things like alcohol or drugs to help ward away the depressive feelings. Others might eat more, watch television for hours on end in bed, and not want to leave their house, apartment or dorm room. Sometimes a person who is depressed may stop caring about their physical appearance on a regular basis, or whether they shower or brush their teeth.
Typically, people who suffer from serious, clinical depression feel depressed for weeks or months on end, so someone who’s just having a particularly rough or stressful week (because of school demands, relationship issues, work issues, etc.) may not be suffering from clinical depression.
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16 Responses to “Common Signs of Someone Who May be Suicidal” (Pingbacks/trackbacks not shown below)
Aris at 3:34 pm on
October 10th, 2007
WOW! I fit the *EXACT* description of someone who is suicidal. No Joke. Should others be concerned?
katie at 5:28 pm on
October 10th, 2007
this is one of the best articles i have read on this subject. as i am suicidal right now i wonder if i should just send this article out since i cant seem to tell anyone how i feel….they would for sure see “me” in this article.
Troubled Teen at 2:21 am on
March 10th, 2008
Teen depression is a common problem in teens today. The information given is not sufficient as there should be details about how we can prevent teen depression .
Catherine Coyle at 5:29 pm on
April 29th, 2008
i’m 15 and i’m still getting ready to kill myself…. cause my grandma is driving me nutts…… i already started cutting my wrist and stufff. what do i do… i’m madly in love with this boy who she won’t let me see…. i’ve been reallly tempted to just cut my main vien and end it alll. help me please
Maggie at 3:49 pm on
May 9th, 2008
I don’t know If I’m worrying to much or if I’m really depressed. I’m at this school I really don’t like and I’m scared that I will commit suicide because I hear those stories about others doing it. Some days i do want to kill myself because the pain inside hurts a lot but i know that I won’t feel better at all If i killed myself. And I really don’t want to kill myself but I read that people sometimes kill themselves even if they don’t want to. I’m really scared. Sometimes I lose weight but thats because I worry so much I can’t eat on a nervous stomach. and sometimes I want to cut myself to know how it feels but I don’t want to because I know I’ll regret it later. I already know how people kill themselves and I get really scared that I would want to do that stuff. HELP!
James at 10:28 pm on
May 21st, 2008
My name is james martin ive had demons in my head since i was a young boy tellin me 2 do bad things like stick my eyelashes in my eye and put my finger down my throat with off spray on it i dont know wat happen 2 me then ive cut my self tried 2 knock my teeth out and put the blood on my face from my gums i get dese horrible visions and react on dem ive pressed on my eyebrow into my eye and spurted water out from da force i dont know ifanyone else goes through this but dis is no life ive cut my throat broken my nose. Im 20 now and i dont think im goin 2 live much longer i dont think god can save me. I just think people shud read dis be 4 they decide 2 kill dem self ova nothin. I dont know y it had 2 be me…
ahhhhhhhhhhh thts so sad dont worry everything will be fine just have faith in god and sucidal feelings will go just throw it out of ur head no point sucideing its not good its bad and stupid thought trust me i knw how it feels i just recovered but still feel sucidal but i trust my god he will help me for me he is all my world and if god is with me then nothing can happen bad trust me email em at princess.lubna@hotmail.com if u wana talk to me or need someone to talk to am always here for u all
Sondra at 9:06 am on
August 25th, 2008
Alot of times i hear satan telling me to kill myself and how, when, and where. I know my family loves me and I love them, but I am scared of my future and what might happen to me so I sometimes wonder if I kill myself then I wont have to go thru what I have already been thru. Its a horrible feeling. I sometimes make myself passout to get a rush, it makes me feel better. I really dont know what I am gonna do. I fall away from god so easily because satan talks to me, when i get close to god, and satan tells me he’ll leave me alone if I kill myself, I wonder if I should, I know it wouldnt be the right thing, but my thoughts are telling me differently, SOMEONE PLEASE SAVE ME FROM MYSELF
josh at 7:59 pm on
September 2nd, 2008
Please help. My name is josh and I am feeling suicidal because I am not happy with several things. I am not making good grades anymore and I just cant focus I dont see the point because I think that it doesn’t matter because I’m going to kill myself anyway. I’m scared about my future I am a homosexual and I know my adult life is going to be very difficult Im not going to have a normal adulthood. I’m may not find true love and I cannot help it. I am gay without choice I haven’t told anyone because I am 15 and they will think that I dont know what I am talking about. So far suicide feels like the best choice.
Harry at 3:47 am on
September 4th, 2008
I really think suicide is the most selfish act. Most of us will suffer varying degrees of depression in our lifetime and I am certainly no different having beaten diagnosed chronic depression. It may seem the easy way out, but who really pays the emotional and financial cost? your family…your friends! My weighty words have just served to reassure myself things could always be worse.Sadly people have taken their own lives for a fraction of what ive endured.
Be a Part of the Conversation! Comment on this Entry Now:
WOW! I fit the *EXACT* description of someone who is suicidal. No Joke. Should others be concerned?
this is one of the best articles i have read on this subject. as i am suicidal right now i wonder if i should just send this article out since i cant seem to tell anyone how i feel….they would for sure see “me” in this article.
Teen depression is a common problem in teens today. The information given is not sufficient as there should be details about how we can prevent teen depression .
i’m 15 and i’m still getting ready to kill myself…. cause my grandma is driving me nutts…… i already started cutting my wrist and stufff. what do i do… i’m madly in love with this boy who she won’t let me see…. i’ve been reallly tempted to just cut my main vien and end it alll. help me please
I don’t know If I’m worrying to much or if I’m really depressed. I’m at this school I really don’t like and I’m scared that I will commit suicide because I hear those stories about others doing it. Some days i do want to kill myself because the pain inside hurts a lot but i know that I won’t feel better at all If i killed myself. And I really don’t want to kill myself but I read that people sometimes kill themselves even if they don’t want to. I’m really scared. Sometimes I lose weight but thats because I worry so much I can’t eat on a nervous stomach. and sometimes I want to cut myself to know how it feels but I don’t want to because I know I’ll regret it later. I already know how people kill themselves and I get really scared that I would want to do that stuff. HELP!
My name is james martin ive had demons in my head since i was a young boy tellin me 2 do bad things like stick my eyelashes in my eye and put my finger down my throat with off spray on it i dont know wat happen 2 me then ive cut my self tried 2 knock my teeth out and put the blood on my face from my gums i get dese horrible visions and react on dem ive pressed on my eyebrow into my eye and spurted water out from da force i dont know ifanyone else goes through this but dis is no life ive cut my throat broken my nose. Im 20 now and i dont think im goin 2 live much longer i dont think god can save me. I just think people shud read dis be 4 they decide 2 kill dem self ova nothin. I dont know y it had 2 be me…
ahhhhhhhhhhh thts so sad dont worry everything will be fine just have faith in god and sucidal feelings will go just throw it out of ur head no point sucideing its not good its bad and stupid thought trust me i knw how it feels i just recovered but still feel sucidal but i trust my god he will help me for me he is all my world and if god is with me then nothing can happen bad trust me email em at princess.lubna@hotmail.com if u wana talk to me or need someone to talk to am always here for u all
Alot of times i hear satan telling me to kill myself and how, when, and where. I know my family loves me and I love them, but I am scared of my future and what might happen to me so I sometimes wonder if I kill myself then I wont have to go thru what I have already been thru. Its a horrible feeling. I sometimes make myself passout to get a rush, it makes me feel better. I really dont know what I am gonna do. I fall away from god so easily because satan talks to me, when i get close to god, and satan tells me he’ll leave me alone if I kill myself, I wonder if I should, I know it wouldnt be the right thing, but my thoughts are telling me differently, SOMEONE PLEASE SAVE ME FROM MYSELF
Please help. My name is josh and I am feeling suicidal because I am not happy with several things. I am not making good grades anymore and I just cant focus I dont see the point because I think that it doesn’t matter because I’m going to kill myself anyway. I’m scared about my future I am a homosexual and I know my adult life is going to be very difficult Im not going to have a normal adulthood. I’m may not find true love and I cannot help it. I am gay without choice I haven’t told anyone because I am 15 and they will think that I dont know what I am talking about. So far suicide feels like the best choice.
I really think suicide is the most selfish act. Most of us will suffer varying degrees of depression in our lifetime and I am certainly no different having beaten diagnosed chronic depression. It may seem the easy way out, but who really pays the emotional and financial cost? your family…your friends! My weighty words have just served to reassure myself things could always be worse.Sadly people have taken their own lives for a fraction of what ive endured.
