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Suicide causes immeasurable pain, suffering, and loss to individuals, families, and communities nationwide. On average, 112 Americans die by suicide each day. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15–24-year-olds, and more than 9.4 million adults in the United States had serious thoughts of suicide within the past twelve months. But suicide is preventable, so it’s important to know what to do.
Warning Signs of Suicide
If someone you know is showing one or more of the following behaviors, he or she may be thinking about suicide. Don’t ignore these warning signs. Get help immediately.
- Talking about wanting to die or to kill oneself
- Looking for a way to kill oneself
- Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live
- Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain
- Talking about being a burden to others
- Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs
- Acting anxious or agitated; behaving recklessly
- Sleeping too little or too much
- Withdrawing or feeling isolated
- Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge
- Displaying extreme mood swings
Get Help
If you or someone you know needs help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1.800.273.TALK (8255). Trained crisis workers are available to talk 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
If you think someone is in immediate danger, do not leave him or her alone—stay there and call 911.
Resources
OK2TALK is a community for young adults struggling with mental health problems. It offers a safe place to talk.
- College Success. Provided by: Lumen Learning. License: CC BY: Attribution
- College Health. Provided by: National Institutes of Health. Located at: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/collegehealth.html. License: Public Domain: No Known Copyright
This page titled 9.24: Text- Suicidal Behavior was last modified on Mon, 07 Dec 2020 00:11:49 GMT and is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Lumen Learning.
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