Prevent Your Friends From Crossing That Line: 10 Signs Someone’s Contemplating Suicide

Did you know there is a suicide being committed every 40 seconds? Can you imagine the number of deaths that take place every year? Over the years we have lost so many people to suicide.

Do you wish you could have done something for them? I hope so too. But just plain wishing and hoping will not improve the situation. We need to get out there and take a stand.

Nobody will wake up one day and just kill themselves. It’s a process! A long struggle is often accompanied by suicide. Imagine the intensity of pain someone might be dealing with that they lose the will to live.

It’s time we get out of our comfort zone and pledge to do our bit to prevent suicide. But how should you do that? It’s not that complex, please often begin to display signs of suicidal behavior long before they even think of it.

All we have to do is identify those warning signs and extend our hand for support. Here are some warning signs of suicide that you should look for…

Signs Someone’s Contemplating Suicide

1. Change In Sleep Pattern

Although this may seem like a very normal thing to happen, when accompanied by others signs, can be very helpful in identifying suicidal behavior. Suicidal people may sleep longer than usual and find it difficult to get out of bed.

In some cases they can also experience insomnia and always seem tired. These sleep patterns can often be confused with depression but both conditions need attention.

2. Emotional Detachment

When someone is suicidal they lose interest in everyone and everything. They begin to detach themselves from everyone. They also feel an emotional disconnect with their friends and family.

One of the potential signs is that they feel nothing in an emotional situation. If you notice such behavior in someone, there’s a high chance they might be suicidal.

3. Change In Behavior (Mostly Unusual)

A behavioral change can be easily noticed and ignored at the same time. If our friends begin to behave in an unusual manner we often mock them and forget about it. Change is behavior is a warning sign of suicide.

There are intense mood shifts. Strangely so, someone can also be very calm and composed before committing suicide. If the change is unusual, try to find out what’s troubling them.

4. Arranging Lethal Means

This sign can easily give it away. When someone is contemplating suicide, they begin to make plans. Gathering things that are lethal in nature is the initial phase of executing the plan.

They might buy a gun or begin to collect drugs. Rat poison or phenyl and many more such things can cause death.

6. Complain of Discomfort (Physical)

Having physical pain is as common as apples being red! But how can physical pain indicate suicide? That’s what you’re thinking right? Complains of physical pain doesn’t exactly point towards suicide. But when accompanied by other signs it can help you recognize suicidal ideations.

Mostly these physical pains will not have a proper explanation. They are going to be vague and that’s our cue!

6. Conversations About Death or Dying

Someone who has lost the will to live will think about dying quite often. And the chance of thoughts taking the form of words is very high. There are so many of us who don’t even prefer mentioning death in conversations.

So when someone brings up death or wanting to die in their conversation, there’s a high chance they are contemplating death.

7. They Think They Are a Burden

People with suicidal tendencies have a different thought process. They have so much shame and guilt in them. That guilt and shame doesn’t let them live in peace. Hence, they turn towards suicide.

They think that people will be better off without them. They are doing a favor to others by dying. If you identify such thoughts in someone, they might be thinking of committing suicide.

8. Social Isolation

Social isolation is one way they begin to disconnect from the world. They stop attending family events and don’t meet friends anymore. They drown themselves in their thoughts. Often are irritated when focused to make a public appearance.

You are more likely to notice that they lose interest in all sorts of public relations and activities. It’s like they just give up on life and people.

9. Distribute Personal Belongings

Have you ever been to a boarding school? At the end of the session right before the summer break, what do you do? Give away your personal item to your friends as a remembrance. Same philosophy works here as well.

If a friend or family member gives you a personal belonging out of the blue, something’s wrong.

10. Good-Bye

They know in their head that the coming days may be their final days with family and friends. Although we are emotionally detached, they still think you deserve a late goodbye. They might go to you and talk about how good/bad you were!

They will say all that they need to say before their final departure. So be very, very alert when someone just out of nowhere begins to give you a farewell speech.

Endnote...

I know you can’t just go up to a suicidal person and tell them to rethink. That might worsen the situation. My intention behind highlighting the warning signs is to help you successfully identify if someone around you is suicidal.

If you want to prevent suicide you will have to predict it first. It’s difficult for sure but it’s not impossible. Identifying the problem is the first step towards finding the solution.

Once we have identified a suicidal person we can then together help him come out of it. Whether it’s clinical treatment, therapy or family support, all sorts of help is available. These warning signs of suicidal thoughts will help us in helping them.

This is the bit you can do to reduce the number of suicides being committed all over. Let’s all join hands to prevent suicide by predicting suicide. Keep these signs in mind so that we can stop someone who is contemplating suicide.

Click here for the helpline number for The United States and here for India.

I hope this blog helps someone in need. This is my way of doing my bit to prevent suicide. What’s yours?

Thanks for reading!

Take care! Stay safe!