Warning Signs of Suicide

Preventing Suicide

Learn the signs, the facts, and how you can help prevent suicide.

Each one of us can play a vital role in ensuring that all people, regardless of their sexual orientation or racial background, are provided with safe, accepting and supportive environments at home, at school and in their communities. As a parent or educator, you can be an outlet for people or students by understanding the warning signs and risk factors of suicide and letting the people in your life know that support is always available if they need it.

Learning the warning signs of suicide is a huge part of preventing a crisis.

Learning the warning signs of suicide is a huge part of preventing a crisis. Although emotional ups and downs are normal, sometimes a person who is suicidal gives certain signs or hints that something is wrong. Knowing these major warning signs can help you connect someone you care about to support if they need it – even if that person is yourself

Have you or someone you know felt…?

Unimportant
Trapped
Hopeless
Overwhelmed
Unmotivated
Alone
Irritable
Impulsive
Suicidal

Do you or someone you know…?

Not care about their future: “It won’t matter soon anyway.”
Put themselves down – and think they deserve it: “I don’t deserve to live. I suck.”
Express hopelessness: “Things will never get better for me.”
Say goodbye to important people: “You’re the best friend I’ve ever had. I’ll miss you.”
Have a specific plan for suicide: “I’ve thought about how I’d do it.”
Talk about feeling suicidal: “Life is so hard. Lately I’ve felt like ending it all.”

Have you or someone you know been…?

Using drugs or alcohol more than usual
Acting differently than usual
Giving away their most valuable possessions
Losing interest in their favorite things to do
Admiring people who have died by suicide
Planning for death by writing a will or letter
Eating or sleeping more or less than usual
Feeling more sick, tired, or achy than usual

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then you are not alone. The Suicide Hotline is here for you 24/7 which means all day and night, every weekend, each holiday, and beyond.

If you recognize these signs in someone you know, encourage them to ask for help. If they need support, empower them to call The Suicide Awareness hotline to talk with a trained professional. The Suicide Awareness hotline is here 24/7 – that means all day and night, every weekend, and every holiday.

Facts About Suicide

Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among young people ages 10 to 24.1
LGB youth seriously contemplate suicide at almost three times the rate of heterosexual youth.2
LGB youth are almost five times as likely to have attempted suicide compared to heterosexual youth.2
Of all the suicide attempts made by youth, LGB youth suicide attempts were almost five times as likely to require medical treatment than those of heterosexual youth.2
Suicide attempts by LGB youth and questioning youth are 4 to 6 times more likely to result in injury, poisoning, or overdose that requires treatment from a doctor or nurse, compared to their straight peers.2
In a national study, 40% of transgender adults reported having made a suicide attempt. 92% of these individuals reported having attempted suicide before the age of 25.3
LGB youth who come from highly rejecting families are 8.4 times as likely to have attempted suicide as LGB peers who reported no or low levels of family rejection.4
1 out of 6 students nationwide (grades 9–12) seriously considered suicide in the past year. [5]
Each episode of LGBT victimization, such as physical or verbal harassment or abuse, increases the likelihood of self-harming behavior by 2.5 times on average.