Warning signs of suicide

Warning signs of suicide include:

• Planning to, or saying you want to, kill yourself or someone else.
• Having access to a deadly means of committing suicide, such as a firearm.
• Being disconnected from reality (psychotic), experiencing severe anxiety, or hallucinating that you are being given commands.
• Using alcohol or drugs, especially in large quantities.
• Talking, writing, or drawing about death, including writing suicide notes and speaking of items that can cause physical harm, such as pills, guns, or knives.
• Spending long periods of time alone.
• Giving away possessions.
• Aggressive behavior or suddenly appearing calm.

Some suicidal behaviors in teens and young adults include:

• Running away from home.
• Risky or dangerous behaviors, such as drunk driving.

Factors that increase the risk of suicide include having:

• A history of a past suicide attempt.
• A family history of suicide.
• Recent exposure to suicide.
• A history of depression or other mental health condition, such as bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness) or schizophrenia.

Any mention of suicide should be taken seriously. If someone you know is threatening to commit suicide, try to find out whether the person:

• Has the means (weapons or medications) available to commit suicide or do harm to another person.
• Has set a time and place to commit suicide.
• Thinks that there is no other way to end the pain.

If a suicide threat seems real, with a specific plan and the means at hand, the following guidelines may help:

• Call 911 , a suicide hotline, or the police.
• Stay with the person, or ask someone you trust to stay with the person, until the crisis has passed.
• Encourage him or her to seek professional help.
• Don't argue with the person ("It's not as bad as you think") or challenge the person ("You're not the type to commit suicide").
• Tell the person you don't want him or her to die. Talk about the situation as openly as possible.