Warning Signs of Suicide and Resources to Utilize

By: Victoria Chan

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, the third leading cause of death among 15-24-year-olds, and second among 10-14-year-olds. Suicide largely affects our future generation, so what can we do to lower these rates? The most important thing is recognizing the warning signs. Many are behavioral, including losing interest in once passionate hobbies, or a lack of care for appearance and hygiene. An example of this can be a teammate not showing up to practice. Another sign can be changes in eating and/or sleeping habits. Examples can be if someone you know starts to have heavy eye bags or starts skipping lunch. The last symptom is having episodes of being enraged, distressed, or saddened. It's important to note that these symptoms come from feelings of hopelessness and low motivation that come from depression, and are not something to judge. Also, not all symptoms present the same for suicidal victims, and each case differs from person to person.

Once you identify these warning signs, you might be wondering what to do next. There are one of two steps you could take. The first is to reach out to a trusted adult. This can be a parent, teacher, or counselor; anyone you can trust. These adults should help you assess the situation and find the best plan of action. The latter is to talk to the person with suicidal thoughts by using the 3 C’s. The first is connection, tell the other person that you are there for them. A few phrases to use are “I’m here for you”, “I care for you”, and “You don’t have to go through this alone”. The second is collaboration, and for this, it's vital to be an active listener, which means giving your full attention and showing support to the other person. This is crucial for identifying the level of danger they may be in and creating an appropriate plan of action together. The last C is choice, empowering the person to seek professional help from the plan made together to start the process of recovery.

It is important to have reliable resources for your plan of action. One is the 988 Suicide & Crisis Line. They are available 24/7 and provide confidential support to anyone in a suicidal crisis in English and Spanish. Another are warmlines, which can be used to provide support through hard times when you need someone to talk to. You can access a warmline near you. Note that hotlines are for emergencies, while warmlines are for non-emergencies. 

Suicide is a silent killer and more common than you think. There is 1 death every 11 minutes due to someone taking their own life (CDC 2023). These thoughts can affect anyone you know, from your siblings to your friends or even yourself. So, in honor of National Suicide Prevention Month, notice the signs, take action, and together we can lower the deaths caused by suicide.

Works Cited:

“Suicide Prevention Month.” NAMI, 19 Sept. 2024, www.nami.org/get-involved/awareness-events/suicide-prevention-month/.

Suicide Prevention Resource Center. “Warning Signs of Suicide – Suicide Prevention Resource Center.” Sprc.org, 2020, sprc.org/warning-signs-of-suicide/ 

National Institute of Mental Health. “Suicide.” National Institute of Mental Health, Mar. 2025, www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/suicide. 

What to Say to Someone Who Is Suicidal | Distress Centre. 3 Nov. 2023, distresscentre.com/2023/11/03/what-to-say-to-someone-who-is-suicidal/. 

“Relevance Recovery Treatment Center in NJ.” Relevancerecovery.com, 2019, relevancerecovery.com/the-significance-of-suicide-prevention-awareness-saving-lives/.