What is suicidal behavior?
Suicidal behavior is when people:
More than 10 times as many people try to kill themselves than actually die. However, it's important to always take thoughts and talk about suicidal behavior seriously—offer your help and support.
If you or someone you know has suicidal thoughts or has attempted to commit suicide, call 911 or 1-800-273-8255 (the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline).
What makes someone want to commit suicide?
Usually, several things have to go wrong before people try to kill themselves. Often, people are depressed. Depression is feeling so sad that the sadness stops you from being able to live your normal life. Depression can be triggered by an event, like the death of a loved one. Or, depression can start without a sad event.
In addition to depression, other life problems that increase the risk of suicidal behavior include:
How can I tell if someone is at risk for suicidal behavior?
What are antidepressants?
Antidepressants are medicines used to treat depression. Take the antidepressants that your doctor tells you to take—if you don't, you may be more likely to act out suicidal thoughts. Don't stop taking antidepressants unless your doctor tells you to stop.
Sometimes thoughts of suicide (but not actually acting on those thoughts) may increase in children and young people when they first take antidepressants. If your child is taking an antidepressant, watch for these warning signs, especially in the first few weeks of treatment:
Call your child’s doctor right away if you notice any of these warning signs.
How can I prevent suicidal behavior?
Always take it seriously when people threaten or try to kill themselves.
Call the emergency number (911 in the United States)
Call for emergency help if a person is threatening suicide or has already tried to commit suicide. Keep talking to the suicidal person in a calm, supportive voice until help arrives.
In the United States, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255)
If you (or a person you know) are thinking or talking about killing yourself, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Trained volunteers are there to talk 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They can:
