Youth Suicide Prevention

• Suddenly do badly in school
  • Good students that all of a sudden
    • Ignore homework
    • Cut classes
    • Don't show up for school at all
• Show changes in school attendance, performance and behavior
• Do not want to do things they used to love doing
• Have an unusual interest in death or violence
  • Through poetry, essays, doodling or artwork
  • An obsession with violent movies, video games or music
  • A fascination with weapons
• Give away important possessions
• Show a change in friendships
  • Suddenly rejects their friends
  • Begin hanging out with teens that abuse substances or other risky behavior
  • Don't want to see friends anymore for no reason
  • Say "You just don't understand me anymore"
• Have Mood swings or change in personality
  • Gloomy or sad
  • Silent
  • Isolates from family and friends
  • Angry
  • Inappropriate with their actions
• Shows signs of being in an abusive relationship
  • They may be physically or emotionally abused by a family member, girlfriend or boyfriend. Signs of abusive relationships include bruises or injuries that they don't want to talk about.
• Neglect their appearance and/or cleanliness
• Show a change in eating habits
  • Eats too much or too little
• Have a change in sleeping habits
  • Sleeps too much or too little
• Struggle with gender-diverse identities
  • Gender-diverse youth may face increased suicide risk due to experiences of stigma, discrimination, bullying, family rejection, and barriers to affirming mental health care
• Fall victim to bullying
  • Kids who are bullied, pushed around or harassed
• Display physical symptoms
  • Complain a lot about headaches, stomachaches or other pain
• Experiment with at-risk behavior
  • Suddenly start having unprotected sex or sex with multiple partners
  • Begin using drugs or alcohol
  • Drive recklessly or without a license
  • Steal
  • Vandalize property
  • Cut themselves or try other types of self-injury
     

• Depressed
• Sad
• Hopeless
• Desperate
• Unloved
• Purposeless
• Angry
• Without energy or enthusiasm
• Tired all the time
• Withdrawn
• Over-sensitive
• No self-esteem
• Guilty
• Lack of concentration
• Can't make a decision
• Restless, agitated
• Cry for no reason

• Talk or write about suicide or death
• Say they have made a plan to kill themselves 
• Give away their things
• Drop out of school, sports or other enjoyable activities
• Get a weapon or something else that might hurt themselves
• Say things like:
  • Life is meaningless
  • I wish I were dead
  • I'm going to end it all
  • You'll be better off without me
  • What's the point of living?
  • Soon you won't have to worry about me
  • Who cares if I'm dead, anyway?
  • Nothing matters any more

When someone comes to you for help about suicide, don't panic because you can help.

• Listen. Sometimes just having someone to listen to them helps a person with thoughts about suicide.
• Take it seriously.  Always take what they are telling you seriously. What if something really does happen?
• Get help. Tell a responsible adult. This might be a teacher, guidance counselor or other school staff person, your parents, a friend's parents, an older brother or sister, someone at your church or someone from the local youth center.
• Get more help. If this adult doesn't take you or your friend's problem seriously, or doesn't know what to do, find someone else. If you need help finding someone who can help, call or text 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or North Carolina Crisis Services | NCDHHS
• Be persistent. Ask them if they are thinking about killing themselves. Be direct. Talking about suicide or suicidal thoughts will not push them to suicide. It is also not true that people who talk about killing themselves will not actually try it. If a friend says that he or she is thinking about suicide, take that person seriously.
• Show you care. Just talking to them can make a difference. Teens will often talk with other teens rather than adults. Tell them you don't want them to die.
• Be understanding, not judgmental. Listen to their story; let them talk about their feelings.
• Find out if they have a plan. You should be especially concerned if a person tells you that they have made a detailed suicide plan or have a way of hurting themselves.
• Don't leave them alone. Try to talk them into going with you to talk to a responsible adult. Stay with them until an adult can come to you.
   

• Don't promise to keep it a secret. Sometimes people tell you about their suicidal thoughts and then ask you to keep it a secret. Tell someone immediately.
• Don't be afraid of being wrong. People with these problems still need help. You can help.
• Don't ignore it. If they are asking for help, that means they need help
• Don't say "I know how you feel." You don't. Every situation is different. Listen to their story.
• Don't tell them to count their blessings. They may feel that you are ignoring their pain.
• Don't act shocked. Don't say "Just snap out of it." They would if they could.
• Don't pretend you have all the answers. Be honest.
• Don't dare the person to do it.
   

It might be a teacher or other school staff person, your parents, a friend's parents, an older brother or sister, someone at your church or someone from the local youth center. If the first person you pick does not help you, keep looking. Some people are better at helping than others.

Ask yourself the following questions to help you decide whom you might be able to talk to:

• Can I trust the person not to talk to other people about me?
• Will the person give me a hard time?
• Will the person make me more upset?
• Can the person offer me the help I need?

After asking yourself these questions, you may decide you have no trusted friend or family member to speak to. That is okay. Sometimes speaking to a stranger is more comfortable.