Help Prevent Suicide

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Apr 6, 2025.

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What do I need to know about suicide prevention?

A person may see suicide as the only way to escape emotional or physical pain and suffering. You can help provide emotional support for him or her and get the help he or she needs. Learn to recognize warning signs that the person may be considering suicide. Resources are available to help you and the person.

What warning signs should I watch for?

Stress, a medical condition, or drug or alcohol use may increase the person's risk for suicide. Watch for warning signs, such as the following:

• Talking about a plan for attempting suicide, or suddenly deciding to make a will
• Cutting himself or herself, burning the skin with cigarettes, or driving recklessly
• Drug or alcohol use, not taking prescribed medicine, or taking too much prescribed medicine
• Sudden anger, lashing out at others, or seeming hopeless, anxious, or angry and then suddenly becoming happy or peaceful
• Not wanting to spend time with others or doing things he or she usually enjoys
• Trouble at work, or not showing up for work
• A change in the way he or she eats, sleeps, or dresses
• Weight gain or loss or having less energy than usual
• Trouble sleeping or spending a lot of time sleeping
• Giving away or throwing away his or her belongings
• Suddenly not going to therapy

Where can I go for more help if I think the person is considering suicide?

Contact a suicide prevention organization:

• For the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline:
  • Call or text 988
  • Send a chat on https://988lifeline.org/chat
  • Call 1-800-273-8255 (1-800-273-TALK)
• For the Suicide Hotline, call 1-800-784-2433 (1-800-SUICIDE)

What should I do if I think the person is considering suicide?

Call the person's local emergency number (911 in the US) if you feel he or she is at immediate risk of suicide. Also call if he or she talks about an active suicide plan. Assume that the person intends to carry out his or her plan. The following are some things you can do:

• Contact the person's therapist. His or her healthcare provider can give you a list of therapists if he or she does not have one.
• Keep medicines, weapons, and alcohol out of the person's reach. Make sure you do not put yourself at risk if the person has a weapon.
• Do not leave the person alone if he or she says he or she wants to attempt suicide. Ask the person if he or she has a plan. Do not leave the person alone if you think he or she may try it.

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How will healthcare providers help the person?

• Healthcare providers will ask questions about the person's suicide thoughts and plans. They will ask how often he or she thinks about suicide and if he or she has tried it before. They will ask if he or she hurt himself or herself, such as with cutting or reckless driving. They may ask if he or she has access to weapons or drugs.
• A healthcare provider will help the person create a safety plan. The plan includes a list of people or groups to contact if he or she has suicidal thoughts again. The list may include friends, family members, a spiritual leader, and others he or she trusts. The person may be asked to make a verbal agreement or sign a contract that he or she will not try to harm himself or herself.

What treatment may the person need?

• Medicines may be given to prevent mood swings, or to decrease anxiety or depression. The person will need to take all medicines as directed. A sudden stop can be harmful. It may take 4 to 6 weeks for the medicine to help him or her feel better.
• A therapist can help the person identify and change negative feelings or beliefs about himself or herself. This may also help change the way the he or she feels and acts. A therapist can also help the person find ways to cope with things that cannot be changed.

What can I do to help the person?

• Encourage the person to seek help for drug or alcohol abuse. Drugs and alcohol can increase suicidal thoughts and make the person more likely to act on them.
• Help the person connect with others. Encourage him or her to become involved in the community. Some examples include tutoring a young student, volunteering at a local organization, or joining a group exercise program.
• Exercise with the person. Exercise can lift his or her mood, increase energy, and make it easier to sleep at night.
• Encourage the person to try new things. Adults who are open to new experiences handle stress and change better than those who are not.
• Call, visit, or send postcards to the person often. Check on him or her after the loss of a pet, longtime friend, or child. Holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries can be difficult for a person after a loss. The loss of a spouse can be especially painful and lonely.
• Help the person schedule a visit with his or her religious or spiritual leader. A religious or spiritual leader may be able to offer additional support and resources to the person.
• Encourage the person to continue taking medicine and going to therapy. Medicine and therapy can help improve his or her mental health.

Where can I find support and more information?

• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
  PO Box 2345
  Rockville , MD 20847-2345
  Phone: 1- 800 - 988
  Web Address: http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org OR https://988lifeline.org/chat/
  

• Suicide Awareness Voices of Education
  8120 Penn Ave. S., Ste. 470
  Bloomington , Minnesota 55431
  Phone: 1- 952 - 946-7998
  Web Address: http://www.save.org or https://save.org/find-help/international-resources/
  

Call the person's local emergency number (911 in the US) if:

• The person has done something on purpose to hurt himself or herself.
• The person tries to attempt suicide.
• The person tells you he or she made a plan to attempt suicide.

When should I call the person's doctor or therapist?

• The person has serious thoughts of suicide, even after treatment.
• You begin to see warning signs that the person may be considering suicide.
• The person tells you he or she has more thoughts of suicide when alone.
• You have questions or concerns about the person's condition or care.

Care Agreement

You have the right to help plan your care. Learn about your health condition and how it may be treated. Discuss treatment options with your healthcare providers to decide what care you want to receive. You always have the right to refuse treatment. The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.

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