Have you noticed the following in a friend or family member?

Makes statements like,

• “I want to die”
• “Things would be better without me”
• “It will soon be over”
• “They will be sorry when I’m not here”
• “I want to go to sleep and never wake up”

Appears to feel,

Sad      Helpless      Worthless       Hopeless       Guilty       Shameful      Exhausted     Angry     Confused    Irritable    Withdrawn

Behaving differently like,

• Isolating him/herself
• Using substances or drugs more than usual
• Smoking more
• Drinking more
• Difficulty making decisions
• Not eating or overeating
• Neglecting appearance
• Not sleeping or sleeping too much

If you’ve noticed these types of changes in your friend or family member, ask them if they are thinking about killing themselves.

Talk to your friend or family member…

Talking about suicide will not make them kill themselves. People who talk about or attempt suicide do not want to die. Instead, they want to escape the pain and cannot find another way except to consider suicide.

By talking to them, you can help them find a way to lessen their pain.

Do not keep threats of suicide a secret, even if they want or ask you to. Talking to someone else about their suicide ideation does not make you a rat or disloyal.

Ask yourself… would you rather have a friend who is angry at you or would you want a dead friend whom you could never have a relationship with anymore?

If your friend or family member believes that they have no one to talk to,

• That they are losing control over their emotions,
• That their everyday routine is impossible to sustain,
• That they are starting to think about hurting themselves,
• That they have a plan to hurt themselves,
• That they have the means to hurt themselves,

Get help immediately or tell someone!

You could:

• Call 999

You can tell:

• A parent
• A relative
• Family doctor
• Teacher, counselor, social worker
• Anyone you can trust to help

You can also contact any of the following crisis services on the box on the right.

If you are concerned of a young person and risk is not an issue, you can contact CHAT too, and find out how we can help. Call CHAT at 64936500 / 01 or click here to write to us.

To find other support near to where you live, please call:
ComCare Call at 1800 222 0000 (24 hours daily)

Help is available. Choose to get help in helping your friend or family member.