Suicide Prevention and Awareness: Warning Signs

Important note: While Ready to Hope is run by a trained mental health counselor and our mission is to normalize the conversation surrounding mental wellness, these posts are not intended to be a substitute for seeking professional help. If you or a loved one is in immediate or imminent danger of self harm, please go to the ER, connect with your therapist or medical doctor, or call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month Warning Signs of Suicide

September is Suicide Prevention Month, and so we will spend this entire month talking about it.

Tough subject? Yes.

But shying away from it hasn’t ever helped anyone.

When it comes to difficult things, and especially difficult conversations, there are usually not any shortcuts that actually work.
Instead, we must do the work.

And we here at Ready to Hope do the work because we love. We care.

Everything we do is about seeing more young people in love with their lives, and so of course we are going to talk about suicide.

In data from SAMHSA (the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Association), in 2022 young adults ages 18-25 were OVER TWO TIMES more likely to consider suicide than any other age group.

Additionally, the highest rate of suicide attempts were in that same age group.

So, the conversation matters.

And here’s the thing: studies have repeatedly proven that asking someone who is upset if they are thinking about suicide does NOT make them suicidal. (Gould et al, 2005 and others)

So, you can talk about it. You should talk about it. Whether you are struggling or know someone who is, talking about it is absolutely essential.

Ready to Hope exists because we know that conversations and connections have the power to heal. And that is never more true than when it comes to suicide and suicide awareness.

This week we are going to look at warning signs. Next week we are going to discuss action steps. But always remember: 988. Just like 911 but for suicide. This is a number you can call for yourself, or for a friend or loved one.

We also want to say this: while we want you to have these tips and tools at your fingertips, because they can save lives, unless you are a professional, it is not your job to take responsibility for another’s actions. These tips are meant to give you tools if you need them. We hope you never do, but if you do, being prepared can make all the difference.

The Warning Signs of Suicide:

Things they might talk about:

Feeling like a burden
Feeling tremendous guilt, they might have done something that they think they can’t come back from or that they have ruined their life or that of someone else
Wanting to die
No one would really care if they weren’t around

Things they might be feeling:

Hopelessness
More anxious or agitated, even angrier than normal or prone to more angry outbursts
Unbearable sadness; even beyond regular depression, simply feeling so low they can’t seem to handle it
Being in tremendous and unbearable emotional or physical pain
Feeling empty
Feeling trapped, which can be from any number of situations, such as feeling like they are in a class they can’t handle and there is no way out all the way to being in an abusive relationship
Feeling that there is no reason to live, that no one would miss them, that the world or their loved ones would be better off without them

Behaviors you might see:

Not participating in activities they used to enjoy. Quitting sports or a job they love
Pulling back from friendships and relationships. Not socializing in the ways that they always have.
Giving away items they value
More risky behaviors such as drug or alcohol abuse, driving too fast, playing with fire or weapons
Sleeping more or less
Eating more or less

While none of these thoughts, feelings, or behaviors singly may indicate that your friend is suicidal, these are all signs to watch for.

In our next post we will talk about Action Steps, but for now, if you see enough of these warning signs that you are truly concerned about your friend remember: asking the question will not cause them to consider or to commit suicide. Asking the question is an act of love.

And remember 988. You can always call, and it is better to err on the side of caution and make the call if you feel like you or a friend is in imminent danger of self harm.

Our message at Ready to Hope is hope. For that reason, we want to always be mindful that there is always a way through. Suicide is a reality, but the more we are willing to talk about it openly, the more we can bring down the stigma about suicidal thoughts.

Here are all the ways that Ready to Hope focuses on conversations surrounding mental wellness: