Asking for help is a sign of strength
Life can be hard. If you or others that you care about are feeling overwhelmed or desperate, there are steps you can take to keep yourself or others safe.
1. Ask for support. Asking for help is a sign of strength.
- Contact a trusted doctor or organization that provides mental health services, if available.
- Reach out to a trusted community or religious leader, family member or friend.
I thought that asking my friend if she was having thoughts about suicide might make her more likely to hurt herself. Now, I know that’s not true—talking can make things better.
2. Talk about it!
- Confiding in trusted friends or family can help to relieve distress.
- Consider making a list of trusted people who you can contact if needed.
Tip for family and friends: If you have a loved one who you think may be having suicidal thoughts, don’t be afraid to ask them if they want to talk about it.
- Listen. Be non-judgmental, respectful, and supportive.
- Ask about coping strategies and sources of life meaning (see below)
- Encourage the person to seek professional treatment, if available.
- If the person’s life is at immediate risk, contact emergency services yourself, and/or bring the person directly to the hospital or a mental health professional.
If I have suicidal thoughts, I focus on just trying to get through today. Tomorrow may feel different. I start by using grounding to get out of my head, then try to distract myself with activities or talk to friends.
3. Practice coping skills.
- Don’t make any immediate decisions. Focus on getting through the day.
- Distract yourself—do activities to take your mind off of what you are thinking. Take a walk, read, watch TV, spend time with someone. Exercise.
- Practice stress management techniques, like grounding and abdominal breathing.
- Think about how you have coped with similar situations in the past—how have you made it through other difficult moments?
- Think about sources of meaning and purpose in your life. Look at pictures or recall happy memories.
- Tip: Create a list or a memory box with items that remind you about happier moments and important things in your life. You can look at your list or your box when you feel down.
- Avoid use of alcohol, drugs or nonprescribed medications
When I feel hopeless, it helps to think about the meaningful things in my life, like my work and my family. I know that taking care of myself helps me to be able to take care of my kids as well.
4. Reduce access to means of suicide (e.g., guns, medications, poison).
- Throw these things away or give them to a trusted person to hold. Guns and weapons can be stored in a locked cabinet where possible.
- If this is not possible, go to a safe place where dangerous items are not available, such as a friend’s house, park or café.
- Tip for family and friends: If you have a loved one who you think may be having suicidal thoughts, remove potentially dangerous items from their home, and make sure they are always with another person until professional support is accessible, if possible.
5. Learn more.
Strengthening knowledge about mental health and suicide can help to reduce stigma and increase support.
Signs of immediate danger include:
- A lack of interest in usual activities
- Looking for ways to end one’s life by seeking access to firearms, pills or other means
- Direct statements of suicidal intent: “I’m going to end it all.”
- Less direct statements of suicidal Intent: “Everyone would be better off without me.”
- Feeling hopeless
- Feeling rage or uncontrollable anger
- Feeling trapped—like there’s no way out
- Dramatic mood changes
- Seeing no reason for living or having no sense of purpose
- Withdrawing from friends, family and society
- Feeling anxious or agitated; being unable to sleep, or sleeping all the time
- Giving away favorite possessions
Things that can help reduce risk of suicide include:
- Access to help—including mental health services or other trusted sources (e.g, religious leaders)
- Support from family and friends and feeling connected to the community
- Having a sense of life meaning and purpose (e.g., children and other family members; meaningful work, volunteering or creative activities).
- Having strong coping skills (e.g., ways to get through periods of distress)
- Religious and spiritual beliefs
Suicide myths and facts:
TRUE / FALSE
Talking with a person about their suicidal thoughts will only increase the possibility that they will try to harm themselves.
FALSE: The first step in suicide prevention is invariably a trustful communication. Talking with someone about their feelings and showing them that they are not alone and there is hope can be a protective factor against acting on the suicidal thoughts.
TRUE / FALSE
Restricting access to the means of suicide is an important, evidence-based way to prevent suicide.
TRUE: If someone is feeling suicidal, remove or safely store things that they could use to cause self-harm—including weapons and poisonous or toxic substances or medications.
TRUE / FALSE
It’s possible to reduce the risk of suicide.
TRUE: Reduction of access to lethal means is one of the most significant and universal, evidence-based and effective ways of reducing the risk of suicide.
TRUE / FALSE
There are never any warning signs of suicide.
FALSE: People in distress may exhibit warning signs (see “Signs of immediate danger” section above)
TRUE / FALSE
People who talk about suicide are only seeking attention and will not really go through with it.
FALSE: Suicide thoughts, attempts and threats need to be taken seriously. The majority of people who attempt suicide give implicit or explicit warning messages to their social circles.
TRUE / FALSE
People who have tried to harm themselves before generally don’t try to do it again.
FALSE: A history of previous suicide attempts is one of the most significant risk factors.
Other resources:
For individuals, friends and family:
Learn Practical Skills to Cope During Stressful Times
For governments, ministries, and service providers:
- IASC MHPSS Reference Group guidance note, Addressing Suicide in Humanitarian Settings (2022) (Available in October)
- World Health Organization (2021). LIVE LIFE: An implementation guide for suicide prevention in countries.
- World Health Organization (2019). Self-harm/suicide module of the WHO mhGAP Intervention Guide and associated training materials: mhGAP training manuals
- World Health Organization (2018). Preventing suicide: a community engagement toolkit.