Warning Signs

90% of all people who complete suicide are suffering from a mental illness at the time, most often untreated or undertreated depression.  There are several verbal, behavioral and mood-related signs that can serve as a warning to friends, family, faculty, and staff.  Some of the signs are not concerning on their own; however, a cluster of symptoms often points to a reason for concern.

Verbal Signs

• Talking about death or suicide
• Expressing feelings of unworthiness, failure, or hopelessness
• Feeling like a burden to others
• Lacking interest or hope for the future
• Talking about a plan or intention to complete suicide
• Saying things such as:
  • I’m not sure any if this is worth it anymore
  • I’d like this all to go away
  • I wish I could go to sleep and never wake up
  • It would be better for everyone if I were gone
  • No one would miss me anyway

Behavioral Signs

• Giving away cherished possessions
• Missing class regularly, no interest in academic goals
• Increased use of alcohol or drugs
• Behaving recklessly
• Withdrawing or isolating from others
• Sleeping too much or too little
• Making a will
• Canceling future plans as if there is no future
• Stockpiling pills
• Searching online for materials or means such as acquiring a weapon
• Sending emails or texts that express or hint at self-harm or hopelessness, or postings like this on social media
• Weight loss or weight gain
• Less attending to physical appearance, health, or hygiene

Mood Changes

• Increased or extreme feelings of sadness
• Not caring about things that used to be important
• Increasingly irritable or angry behaviors
• Increasing or intolerable feelings of anxiety
• The intense experience of humiliation or shame