8 Signs Someone Is at Risk of Suicide
What to watch for
- Suicide and suicidal thinking are more widespread than you might think. According to the results of a government survey released in September 2015, roughly 9.4 million adults—or about 3.9% of the population age 18 and older—had “serious thoughts of suicide” in 2014.
- It can be hard to identify suicidal thinking in a loved one; there is no foolproof checklist to follow. But here are some warnings signs that might mean they are at risk.
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Talking about suicide
If someone you know is talking about harming himself or says that he doesn’t want to live, take it seriously.
He may be at risk for a suicide attempt, particularly if he feels trapped or hopeless and is withdrawing from friends and family.
Don’t leave that person alone, let him know you’re going to get help, and call 1-800-273-TALK to be connected to a crisis center, says the
A bipolar or depression diagnosis
The painful symptoms of conditions such as depression and bipolar disorder can drive people to consider suicide.
“Depression is the leading illness for suicide, so the deeper the depression gets or the longer it goes on, the more discouraged the person experiencing it feels,” says Paula Clayton, MD, the medical director of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
In bipolar disorder—a condition in which bouts of depression are interspersed with periods of mania—suicide risk may be higher when the person is depressed.
Feelings of guilt
Madelyn Gould, PhD, a professor of clinical epidemiology in psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center, in New York City, says that excessive and inappropriate feelings of guilt—a common symptom of depression and anxiety—are something to be on the lookout for as well.
“You start to feel guilty about things—letting people down—and someone else who’s listening would say, ‘But you’re not,'” says Gould. “It’s just this very unrealistic guilt.”
Drinking or drug use
