• Making statements such as these:
• "I can't go on any longer."
• "I hate this life."
• "There's no point to this stupid life."
• "Everyone would be better off without me."
• "Life is not worth living."
• "Nothing matters anymore."
• "I don't care about anything anymore."
• “I want to die.”
• --And any mention of suicide--
• Writing notes or poems about suicide or death.
• Acting compulsively.
• Losing interest in most activities.
• Giving away prized possessions.
• Writing a will.
• No sense of humor.
• Facing a perceived "humiliating" situation.
• Facing a perceived "failure."
• Feeling excessive guilt or shame.
• Acting irrationally.
• Being preoccupied with death or dying.
• Behaving recklessly.
• Irritability
• Frequently complaining about headaches, stomachaches, etc.
• Neglecting personal appearance.
• A dramatic change in personal appearance.
• A dramatic change in personality.
• Performing poorly at work or in school.
• Abusing alcohol or drugs.
• Inability to concentrate.

*It should be noted that some people who die by suicide do not show any suicide warning signs. Many people hide their depression because there is still a strong social stigma against mental illness. Also, many people believe that they will be perceived as weak, so they also hide their depression.
But most people do show suicide warning signs, so we need to be aware of what the suicide warning signs are, and try to spot them in people. If we do see someone exhibiting suicide warning signs, we need to do everything that we can to help them.

What to do if someone you know is at risk for suicide

• Take suicide threats seriously; be direct, open and honest in communications.
• Listen, allow the individual to express their feelings and express your concerns in a non-judgmental way.
• Say things like, “I’m  here for you. . .Let’s talk. . .I’m here to help.”
• Ask, “Are you having suicidal thoughts?” A detailed plan indicates greater risk.
• Take action sooner rather than later.
• Get the individual who is at risk connected with professional help.
• Dispose of pills, drugs and guns.
• Don’t worry about being disloyal to the individual; contact a reliable family member or close  friend of the person.
• Make a safe plan with them and eliminate access to items that plan to use.

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1) Read the pages on Prevent Suicide Now.com to learn as much as possible about suicide. And return to the site often, because the site is updated frequently. When you return, go to the What's New at Prevent Suicide Now page so you can see what’s new at the site. Educating yourself about suicide is the first step toward making a difference.

2) Contact the principals at the schools in your area and encourage them to start a suicide prevention program. The Prevent Suicide Now.com Suicide Prevention Program is free. Please click below for the free program:
Free Suicide Prevention Program

This program is being used by schools throughout the world. It is easy to implement, and it does not cost anything.

All schools need to have a suicide prevention program.

Also, the suicide prevention program can be used by any organization or group that would benefit from it.

Feel free to let groups and organizations know about the program.

3) Link to Prevent Suicide Now.com from any website that you may have so people who are suicidal can get the help that they need immediately. You do not need my permission to link to Prevent Suicide Now.com – just do it.

And encourage others to link to Prevent Suicide Now.com so people who are suicidal can get the help that they need. You never know what website a suicidal person may end up on, so the more links the better. Also, when people visit Prevent Suicide Now.com, they learn more about suicide, and thus are better able to help those in need.

4) Be on the alert for anyone who exhibits signs of depression or warning signs for suicide. And if you see any of those signs, please do all that you can to try to get help for the person.

5) Talk about suicide in a non-judgmental way, and remove the stigma from the word. Many people never talk about suicide, yet it should be talked about frequently. Bring the topic out in the open. If you are a parent, talk about suicide prevention with your children.

6) Tell others about Prevent Suicide Now.com. The more people who know about the site the better. And the people who you tell about Prevent Suicide Now.com may end up saving lives – including their own – because of the information and resources that they encounter on the site.

7) Post signs on bulletin boards that read: “Suicidal? Call 1-800-SUICIDE and visit Prevent Suicide Now.com.” You never know who might read the sign. You can save lives by placing signs on bulletin boards.

So there are seven things that you can do right now to help prevent suicide.
For all of the people who have e-mailed me and asked, “What can I do” and for all of the people who want to prevent suicide – Thank you.

You are the people who will take action in your communities to prevent suicide.
You will spearhead the suicide prevention programs.
You will put up the signs on bulletin boards.
You will learn more about suicide.
You will help remove the stigma from suicide.
You will tell people about Prevent Suicide Now.com.
YOU WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

So, thank you.
Thank you for making a difference.
Thank you for taking action.
Thank you for being a great person.
Thank you for caring.
And thank you for preventing suicide.

Take care of yourself,
Kevin Caruso
Prevent Suicide Now.com
Founder, Director, Editor-in-Chief
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If you or someone you know is suicidal, please go to the Prevent Suicide Now and take action.

Take care of yourself,
Kevin Caruso

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