What Do You Do if You Know Someone Is About to Commit Suicide

Frequently Asked Questions Nigh Suicide

FAQ about suicide - Cover

Download PDF
Download ePub
Order a free hardcopy
En español

Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States and a major public health concern. When a person dies past suicide, the furnishings are felt past family, friends, and communities. This brochure, developed by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), tin help you, a friend, or a family unit member acquire more nigh the alert signs of suicide, ways to help forestall suicide, and effective treatment options.

If you lot know someone in crisis:

Dial 911 in an emergency. Or phone call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), 24 hours a 24-hour interval, vii days a week, or utilize the Lifeline Chat at the Lifeline website. The Lifeline is complimentary, confidential, and available to everyone.

What is suicide?

Suicide is when people damage themselves with the goal of ending their life, and they die as a result.

Asuicide try is when people impairment themselves with the goal of ending their life, simply they do not die.

Avoid using terms such as "committing suicide," "successful suicide," or "failed suicide" when referring to suicide and suicide attempts, as these terms ofttimes carry negative meanings.

Who is at hazard for suicide?

People of all genders, ages, and ethnicities can be at risk for suicide.

The main risk factors for suicide are:

A history of suicide attempts
Depression, other mental disorders, or substance use disorder
Chronic hurting
Family history of a mental disorder or substance employ
Family history of suicide
Exposure to family violence, including concrete or sexual abuse
Presence of guns or other firearms in the dwelling house
Having recently been released from prison or jail
Exposure, either direct or indirectly, to others' suicidal behavior, such as that of family unit members, peers, or celebrities

Nearly people who have risk factors for suicide will not attempt suicide, and it is difficult to tell who will deed on suicidal thoughts. Although risk factors for suicide are important to keep in listen, someone who is showingwarning signs of suicide may be at college risk for danger and need firsthand attention.

Stressful life events (such every bit the loss of a loved one, legal troubles, or financial difficulties) and interpersonal stressors (such as shame, harassment, bullying, discrimination, or relationship troubles) may contribute to suicide risk, especially when they occur along with suicide risk factors.

What are the warning signs of suicide?

Warning signs that someone may be at immediate hazard for attempting suicide include:

Talking nearly wanting to die or wanting to kill themselves
Talking almost feeling empty or hopeless or having no reason to live
Talking about feeling trapped or feeling that there are no solutions
Feeling unbearable emotional or physical pain
Talking about being a burden to others
Withdrawing from family and friends
Giving away important possessions
Saying goodbye to friends and family
Putting affairs in club, such every bit making a will
Taking swell risks that could atomic number 82 to decease, such as driving extremely fast
Talking or thinking about death often

Other serious warning signs that someone may be at risk for attempting suicide include:

Displaying extreme mood swings, of a sudden irresolute from very sad to very calm or happy
Making a plan or looking for ways to impale themselves, such every bit searching for lethal methods online, stockpiling pills, or buying a gun
Talking most feeling cracking guilt or shame
Using alcohol or drugs more often
Interim anxious or agitated
Changing eating or sleeping habits
Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge

Does request someone well-nigh suicide put the thought in their caput?

No. Studies have shown that asking people about suicidal thoughts and behaviors does not cause or increase such thoughts. Asking someone directly, "Are y'all thinking of killing yourself?" tin be the best way to identify someone at risk for suicide.

Do sure groups of people take college rates of suicide?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), women are more than probable to endeavour suicide than men, but men are more likely to die by suicide than women. This may be considering men are more likely to effort suicide using very lethal methods, such as firearm or suffocation (east.g., hanging), and women are more likely to endeavor suicide past poisoning, including overdosing on prescribed or unprescribed prescription drugs. Still, recent CDC data advise that the leading ways of suicide for women may exist shifting toward more lethal methods.

CDC information also show that suicide rates vary by race, ethnicity, historic period, and gender. American Indian and Alaska Native men have the highest rates of suicide, followed by non-Hispanic White males.

Although the rate of suicide death amidst preteens and younger teens is lower than that of older adolescents and adults, it has increased over time. Suicide now ranks as the second leading cause of death for youth ages 10 to 14. For children under historic period 12, inquiry indicates that Black children have a college rate of suicide death than White children.

NOTE: After steadily increasing for many years, the overall suicide rate decreased slightly from 2018 to 2019. You tin can larn more nearly this finding on the CDC website. Researchers are examining whether this decrease occurred across different racial, ethnic, gender, and age groups, and whether it volition continue over fourth dimension.

Looking for more data and statistics? For the almost contempo statistics on suicide and more information about suicide risk, please visit the CDC suicide prevention page and the NIMH suicide statistics page.

Practice people 'threaten' suicide to get attention?

Suicidal thoughts or actions are a sign of extreme distress and an indicator that someone needs help. Talking about wanting to die by suicide is not a typical response to stress. All talk of suicide should be taken seriously and requires immediate attending.

What handling options and therapies are available?

Effective, evidence-based interventions are bachelor to help people who are at risk for suicide:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT):CBT is a blazon of psychotherapy that can assistance people acquire new means of dealing with stressful experiences. CBT helps people acquire to recognize their thought patterns and consider culling actions when thoughts of suicide ascend.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT):DBT is a type of psychotherapy that has been shown to reduce suicidal beliefs in adolescents. DBT besides has been shown to reduce the rate of suicide attempts in adults with deadline personality disorder, a mental illness characterized past an ongoing pattern of varying moods, self-prototype, and behavior that often results in impulsive actions and issues in relationships. A therapist trained in DBT can assistance a person recognize when their feelings or deportment are confusing or unhealthy and teach the person skills that can help them cope more than effectively with upsetting situations.
Brief Intervention Strategies :Enquiry has shown that creating a safety program or crisis response plan—with specific instructions for what to do and how to get assist when having thoughts about suicide—tin assist reduce a person'due south adventure of acting on suicidal thoughts. Staying connected and following up with people who are at take a chance for suicide also has been shown to help lower the adventure of time to come suicide attempts. Inquiry as well has shown that increasing safe storage of lethal means can help reduce suicide attempts and deaths by suicide. In addition, collaborative assessment and management of suicidality can help to reduce suicidal thoughts.
Collaborative Intendance:Collaborative care is a team-based approach to mental health intendance. A behavioral health care director will work with the person, their main health care provider, and mental health specialists to develop a treatment programme. Collaborative care has been shown to exist an effective way to treat depression and reduce suicidal thoughts.

What should I do if I am in crunch or someone I know is considering suicide?

If you detect warning signs of suicide—particularly a change in beliefs or new, concerning behavior—get assist as soon as possible.

Family and friends are often the outset to recognize the alarm signs of suicide, and they can accept the first pace toward helping a loved 1 find mental wellness treatment.

If someone tells you that they are going to kill themselves, do not leave them alone. Exercise not promise that you will keep their suicidal thoughts a clandestine—tell a trusted friend, family fellow member, or other trusted adult.

Call 911 if there is immediate danger, or go to the nearest emergency room.

In a crisis, you also can contact:

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Call i-800-273-TALK (8255); En español ane-888-628-9454
The Lifeline is a costless, confidential crunch hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, 7 days a calendar week. The Lifeline connects people to the nearest crisis center that provides crunch counseling and mental health referrals.

Crisis Text Line
Text "HELLO" to 741741
The Crisis Text Line is available 24 hours a twenty-four hours, 7 days a week. This confidential service helps anyone, in any type of crisis, connecting them with a crisis counselor who tin provide support and information.

What if I see suicidal messages on social media?

Knowing how to get help when someone posts suicidal messages can help save a life. Many social media sites have a procedure to become help for the person posting the message.

If you come across messages or alive streaming content that suggests someone is actively engaging in suicidal behavior, telephone call 911or telephone call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1‑800‑273‑TALK (8255).

How tin I notice help?

If you lot take thoughts of suicide, tell your health care provider. Your health intendance provider will listen to your concerns and can assistance you figure out side by side steps. Read NIMH'southward Tips for Talking With Your Health Care Provider to help you prepare to talk to your doctor almost mental health concerns.

To observe mental wellness treatment services in your area, call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Assistants (SAMHSA) Handling Referral Helpline at ane-800-662-Assistance (4357) or employ the SAMHSA Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator.

Where can I learn most NIMH research on suicide?

NIMH supports promising research that is likely to have an touch on reducing suicide in the United states of america. Research is helping improve our ability to identify people at risk for suicide and to develop and amend constructive treatments. NIMH researchers keep to study suicide and how to all-time implement suicide prevention and intervention programs in unlike settings, including health intendance, customs, school, and the justice system.

Larn more about NIMH research priorities and recent research on suicide prevention.

For additional information nigh suicide prevention efforts, visit the National Activeness Brotherhood for Suicide Prevention and Nix Suicide.

What should I know nigh clinical trials?

Clinical trials are research studies that look at new ways to prevent, notice, or treat diseases and conditions. Although individuals may benefit from existence function of a clinical trial, participants should exist aware that the primary purpose of a clinical trial is to gain new scientific knowledge so that others may be amend helped in the hereafter.

Talk to your health care provider about clinical trials, their benefits and risks, and whether one is right for y'all. For more than information, visit NIMH's clinical trials webpage.

Reprints

This publication is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission from NIMH. Citation of NIMH as a source is appreciated. To learn more about using NIMH publications, delight contact the NIMH Information Resources Center at 1-866-615-6464, e-mail nimhinfo@nih.gov, or refer to NIMH'due south reprint guidelines.

U.Due south. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
National Institutes of Wellness
NIH Publication No. 21-MH-6389

Revised 2021

warrentheach.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/suicide-faq