Warning Signs of Suicide

Take action immediately if you suspect someone you know is at risk

Individuals with suicidal tendencies may show signs that they are considering taking their life. Families need to be aware of the warning signs of suicide, particularly if a loved one suffers from depression or other disorders linked to a risk of suicide.

At The Law Offices of Skip Simpson, we are passionate about our work in suicide prevention. If you lost a loved one due to suicide, contact us for a free and confidential consultation. We’re ready to listen to you.

What are warning signs of suicide?

Warning signs of suicide are behaviors, statements, and changes in mood or conduct that indicate a person may be considering ending their life. They don’t always look the way people expect. Some are direct and explicit. Others are subtle enough to be dismissed as stress, grief, or a bad stretch. Knowing the full range of what to watch for is what makes it possible to act before it’s too late.

Warning signs of suicide include:

• Direct threats or statements about wanting to die: Saying things like “I wish I were dead,” “Everyone would be better off without me,” or “I don’t want to be here anymore” should always be taken seriously, even if the person follows it with “I’m just venting.”
• Looking for ways to end their life: Researching methods, seeking access to medications, weapons, or other means, or asking questions about what it would take to die are active warning signs that require immediate attention.
• Talking or writing about death and dying: A sudden preoccupation with death in conversation, journaling, social media posts, or creative work can signal that a person is moving toward a crisis.
• Giving away possessions: When someone begins giving away items that are meaningful to them, especially without an obvious reason, it can indicate they are preparing to die.
• Saying goodbye in an unusual way: Reaching out to people they haven’t spoken to in years, expressing unusual gratitude, or behaving as though they are wrapping things up can be a warning sign that something is very wrong.
• Hopelessness and feeling trapped: A pervasive sense that things will never improve, that there is no way out of a painful situation, or that the future holds nothing worth living for is one of the strongest clinical predictors of suicide risk.
• Rage, anger, and a desire for revenge: Intense, uncharacteristic anger or a stated desire to make others pay for perceived wrongs can be a warning sign, particularly when combined with other indicators.
• Anxiety and agitation: Persistent, uncharacteristic anxiety or agitation, particularly when it appears suddenly or intensifies without an obvious cause, can signal that a person is in acute psychological distress. When someone who is already struggling becomes visibly restless, irritable, or unable to settle, it deserves the same attention as any other warning sign on this list.
• Reckless or self-destructive behavior: Acting without regard for personal safety, engaging in dangerous activities, or behaving as though consequences no longer matter can signal that a person has stopped valuing their own life.
• Withdrawing from family, friends, and activities: Pulling away from relationships and things that once brought meaning or pleasure is a warning sign that deserves attention, particularly when the withdrawal is sudden or unexplained.
• Increased alcohol or drug use: Turning to substances to manage emotional pain is both a warning sign in itself and a factor that significantly elevates suicide risk.
• Dramatic changes in mood or sleep: Severe agitation, inability to sleep, sleeping far more than usual, or sudden calmness after a period of deep depression can all signal a shift toward crisis.
• Expressing no reason for living: When someone articulates that they have no sense of purpose, that nothing matters, or that they can’t identify anything worth staying alive for, that statement should be treated as a clinical warning sign.

Is joking about suicide a warning sign?

Yes. Joking about suicide is a warning sign, and dismissing it as dark humor or attention-seeking is one of the most common and consequential mistakes people make. Statements like “I should just kill myself” or “nobody would notice if I was gone” are sometimes genuine expressions of pain disguised as humor, and the fact that they’re delivered with a laugh doesn’t make them safe to ignore.

Research consistently shows that people who are considering suicide often test the waters with indirect or humorous statements before saying anything more direct. When someone in your life jokes about suicide repeatedly, or when a joke lands differently than it should, the right response is to take it seriously and ask directly whether they are having thoughts of ending their life. Asking the question doesn’t plant the idea. It opens a door that may have been waiting to be opened.

If a mental health provider dismissed a patient’s statements about suicide as humor or attention-seeking and that patient later died, that dismissal may be part of a larger failure in the standard of care. Recognizing suicidal statements for what they are, regardless of how they’re delivered, is a clinical obligation.

Talk to a lawyer today

Knowing what to do after a suicide can be confusing. So many different emotions and thoughts flash through your mind. Why did this happen? Why didn’t anyone notice the warning signs? What should I do now?

Trying to deal with such a complex situation can be overwhelming. Don’t lose hope. You don’t have to deal with everything on your own. Contact someone experienced with handling such complicated situations. Contact a suicide lawyer at the Law Offices of Skip Simpson. We believe passionately in suicide prevention. Our firm is well-versed in the law and has vast experience representing survivors of relatives who died by suicide. Call 214-618-8222 or complete our online contact form today.