Suicide is preventable.
If you are having thoughts of suicide, tell someone and seek mental health support. Reach out to someone you trust. Talk to a friend, family member or counselor. Tell them how you are feeling. The first step to getting help is to let someone know how you are struggling.
If you have had thoughts of suicide, it might help to create or update a suicide safety plan. This plan will provide you with a list of steps you can follow to feel safe if you think about harming yourself. If you do not have a suicide safety plan, you can use this Safety Plan Template (PDF) as a guide.
You can help prevent suicide by learning the warning signs. The risk of suicide is greater if a behavior is new, has increased, and seems related to a painful event, loss or change.
The following signs may mean someone is at risk for suicide:
Warning signs can be different for each person. Speaking about mental health challenges and thoughts of suicide may be less common and less accepted in some communities.
If someone you know is having thoughts of suicide you should:
Learn more about how to help a friend or family member in crisis.
NYC Well has a staff of trained counselors and people who have experienced mental health crises in the past. You can talk about how you feel, get brief counseling, suicide prevention, crisis intervention, peer support, referrals to care, assistance in connecting to the referral and follow-up services.
NYC Well is free and confidential. It operates 24 hours per day, seven days per week.