Offering support to someone you’re worried is suicidal

One of the best things you can do if you think someone may be feeling suicidal is to encourage them to talk and to listen to what they say.

You might feel you need to try to provide a solution but the most important thing you can do to help is listen. If you are worried, trust your instincts, and ask them: “Are you thinking about suicide?”

Warning signs of suicide

A person may be at imminent risk if they are feeling suicidal and they:

have made a plan about how they will kill themselves
have access to a method to kill themselves
are impulsive, or act recklessly
have previously attempted suicide
have close contact with someone who had attempted or died by suicide
no longer fear death
are visualising dying or after their death

Get help now, if:

someone’s in crisis and you want urgent help phone 111.
someone’s life is at immediate risk, for example by serious injury or overdose, phone 999 or go to your nearest A&E.

Other warning signs

talk about hurting or killing themselves
talk about feeling trapped, such as saying they can’t see any way out of their current situation
talk or write about death, dying or suicide
can tolerate a high level of pain
have feelings of hopelessness
have episodes of sudden rage and anger have sudden mood swings
lose interest in most things
engage in risky activities
have recently started, or increased, their frequency of self-harm – including misusing drugs or alcohol
have become increasingly withdrawn from friends and family
appear anxious and agitated
are unable to sleep or sleep much more than usual
talk and act in a way that suggests their life has no sense of purpose
put their affairs in order, such as giving away possessions or making a will

If you notice any of these warning signs in a friend, relative or loved one, encourage them to talk about how they are feeling. SAMH have information and advice on how to ask if you’re concerned someone is thinking about suicide (PDF 484KB).

You can also ask for permission to share your concerns with their GP or if they have one, their care team.