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