Suicide Prevention Month: Crisis Warning Signs & How to Help

Suicide Prevention Month: Crisis Warning Signs & How to Help

September is Suicide Prevention Month, a time to raise awareness about suicide, reduce stigma, and remind people that support is available.

You don’t have to be a mental health professional to help someone who is struggling.

Learning the warning signs of a mental health crisis and knowing how to respond can help you recognize when a friend, family member, coworker, or loved one needs additional support.

What to Know About Suicide Prevention Month

Conversations about suicide can be difficult, but avoiding the subject doesn’t make the risk disappear.

Suicide Prevention Month encourages people to talk openly about mental health, learn potential warning signs, and connect people in distress with appropriate help. It also reminds those struggling with suicidal thoughts that they don’t have to face them alone.

Prevention can begin long before an immediate crisis. Recognizing significant changes in someone’s mood, behavior, or daily functioning can create opportunities to offer support earlier.

What Are the Warning Signs of a Mental Health Crisis?

A mental health crisis can look different from one person to another. Some changes appear suddenly, while others become more noticeable over time.

Potential warning signs that someone may need help for a mental health crisis include:

  • Withdrawing from friends, family, or usual activities
  • Significant changes in mood or behavior
  • Appearing unusually anxious, agitated, angry, or distressed
  • Sleeping much more or less than usual
  • Struggling to manage work, school, or daily responsibilities
  • Increasing alcohol or drug use
  • Engaging in reckless or dangerous behavior
  • Expressing intense hopelessness
  • Saying they feel trapped or like a burden
  • Neglecting personal care
  • Experiencing severe confusion or difficulty thinking clearly

One change doesn’t necessarily mean someone is experiencing a mental health crisis.

However, significant or worsening changes deserve attention, particularly when several warning signs occur together.

Warning Signs Someone May Be Thinking About Suicide

Some behaviors could mean that a person is experiencing suicidal thoughts or facing an increased risk of suicide.

Suicide warning signs may include:

  • Talking about wanting to die
  • Expressing hopelessness or having no reason to live
  • Saying others would be better off without them
  • Talking about feeling trapped or experiencing unbearable pain
  • Researching or making plans for suicide
  • Giving away important possessions
  • Saying goodbye unexpectedly
  • Withdrawing significantly from other people
  • Taking unusual or dangerous risks
  • Displaying extreme mood changes
  • Increasing substance use

Take statements about suicide seriously rather than assuming someone is seeking attention or doesn’t really mean them.

If a person has a suicide plan, intends to act, or appears to be in immediate danger, call 911 or take them to the nearest emergency department. You can also call or text 988 for immediate support through the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

How to Help Someone Experiencing Thoughts of Suicide

It can be frightening to realize someone you care about may be in crisis. You don’t need to have all the answers to offer meaningful support.

Here are some cautious steps you can take to help someone who’s in crisis right away.

Start the Conversation

Tell the person what you’ve noticed and give them an opportunity to talk.

You might mention that they haven’t seemed like themselves recently or that you’re concerned about something they’ve said. Listen without immediately trying to solve the problem, dismiss their feelings, or tell them why they shouldn’t feel that way.

Sometimes simply having another person take their distress seriously can make it easier to accept further help.

Ask Directly About Suicide

If you’re concerned that someone may be considering suicide, ask them directly.

Questions such as, “Are you thinking about suicide?” can open an important conversation.

Asking someone whether they’re suicidal doesn’t put the idea into their head or increase their risk.

A direct question can instead give someone permission to talk about thoughts they may have been afraid to share.

Listen Without Judgment

Give the person your attention and allow them to describe what they’re experiencing.

Avoid debating whether their problems are bad enough, criticizing their choices, or responding with guilt.

Statements about how much other people need them may be well-intended but can add pressure to someone who already feels like a burden.

Focus instead on understanding what they’re experiencing and helping them connect with support.

Help Them Reach Professional Support

You aren’t responsible for treating someone else’s mental health crisis yourself.

Offer to help them contact a therapist, mental health provider, crisis service, or another appropriate resource. If they’re already receiving treatment, encourage them to contact their provider and explain what has changed.

You can also call or text 988 with someone or contact the Lifeline for guidance about helping a person in crisis.

Help Make Their Environment Safer

When suicide is a concern, reducing access to potentially lethal means can be an important part of keeping someone safe.

If it’s safe for you to do so, you can:

  • help create distance between the person and firearms
  • Move large quantities of medication
  • Put other potentially dangerous items out of sight or access

A crisis professional or healthcare provider can help you determine appropriate next steps.

Stay Connected

Support shouldn’t necessarily end once the immediate crisis passes.

Check in afterward. Encourage the person to continue treatment and remind them that you’re available to listen.

Ongoing connection can be especially valuable as someone works toward greater mental health stability.

When Does Someone Need Immediate Help?

Some situations require emergency intervention rather than waiting for a routine mental health appointment.

Seek immediate help if someone intends to attempt suicide, has a specific plan and access to lethal means, has already attempted suicide, or cannot remain safe.

Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department when there is an immediate life-threatening emergency. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is also available 24/7 by calling or texting 988.

Supporting Long-Term Mental Health After a Suicide Attempt or Crisis

Surviving a crisis is only one part of recovery. Ongoing treatment can help address the mental health concerns that contributed to it.

Depending on someone’s needs, treatment may include individual therapy, CBT, DBT, family therapy, medication management, safety planning, or a more structured level of care.

Residential mental health treatment can provide 24/7 support for people whose mental health needs require greater structure than routine outpatient treatment can provide.

Find Suicidal Thoughts Recovery Support in Pennsylvania

Suicide Prevention Month is an important reminder that recognizing distress and reaching out can make a difference at any time of year.

Lenape Wellness Center provides personalized residential mental health treatment in Ford City, Pennsylvania. Our program combines evidence-based therapy, psychiatric care, medication management, and around-the-clock support to help adults work toward long-term wellness.

If you or someone you love needs additional mental health support, contact Lenape Wellness Center to learn about available treatment options.

If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. For immediate crisis support, call or text 988.

FAQs About Suicide Prevention

Does asking someone about suicide make them more likely to attempt it?

No. Asking directly about suicide doesn’t increase suicidal thoughts or behavior. It can give someone an opportunity to talk openly about what they’re experiencing and connect with help.

What should I say to someone who is suicidal?

Tell them you’re concerned, listen without judgment, and ask directly whether they’re thinking about suicide. Avoid minimizing their feelings or trying to convince them that their problems aren’t serious.

Can I call 988 if I’m worried about someone else?

Yes. You can contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline if you’re concerned about another person and need guidance about how to help them.

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