I’m worried about someone else

Suicide is everyone's business and we need your help to reach out. Having a conversation can make all of the difference and potentially save a life, but we understand this may seem scary. We want to support you in helping those around you. On this page you will find a range of information and advice to try and help, but don't forget sometimes something as small as a smile can help. You don't need to have all of the answers.

This video from the Samaritans Small Talk Saves Lives campaign, shows how sometimes just using small talk, like the weather, can make all the difference.

If someone is experiencing thoughts of suicide, they may show some visible signs. It is important to watch out for these signs. They may, but not exclusively, include:

• Feeling extremely sad, hopeless, anxious, restless, agitated, or angry
• Sudden sense of calm or appearing very upbeat after a period of sadness
• Finding it hard to cope with everyday life
• Expressing self-hatred or loathing
• Taking risks
• Being quieter than normal, withdrawing from social activities/situations, isolating themselves
• Unexpectedly getting their affairs in order e.g., making a will and saying goodbye as if they may not see you again
• Making a plan or researching ways to die
• Eating or sleeping more or less
• Talking about feeling hopeless, trapped, wanting to die, death or being a burden to others
• Increased drinking or drug taking
• A loss of interest in what they would normally enjoy doing

However, there may also be no signs which makes regularly talking to people even more important.

Below is a video created by the campaign against living miserably (CALM) which emphasis the point that suicidal doesn't always look suicidal.

There are a number of risk factors that may increase someone's likelihood of experiencing suicidal thinking. These include a range of factors and challenging circumstances such as (remember this list does not covering everything):

• Being a middle-aged man
• Being bereaved
• Having previously experienced suicidal thoughts, made a suicide attempt or having a family history of suicide
• Living with or being diagnosed with physical condition or disability
• Self-harming
• Living with a mental health condition such as depression
• Relationship or family problems
• Housing problems
• Financial worries
• Work or educational related stress
• Traumatic events such as abuse or neglect

If you are concerned someone is experiencing suicidal thoughts, it is best to talk to them. There is a myth that talking with someone about suicide will increase their risk, however this is not true. It is important that you have a direct and open conversation with them as soon as possible.

You can use our traffic light system, available on our or find help page, to help you understand what level of support may be required in the situation.

We have created some tips to help you have a conversation about suicide, and you can find these in resources.

You could also learn more about how to talk about suicide and support someone by completing our online training, which will you find on our training page, or finding out about local and national support services, which you will find on our find help page.

The International Association for Suicide Prevention created this video, step closer, to emphasis the importance connecting with someone can have if they are experiencing thoughts of suicide. Help us make the first step. Sometimes all it takes is a smile.

There is more information on supporting someone with suicidal thoughts available from these trusted websites: