Need Help Now?
If you or someone you know may be in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital emergency room immediately.
If someone tells you they are thinking about suicide, ask calmly, “Do you have a plan?” and “Do you have access to anything you could use to carry out that plan?” If they have a plan and access, stay with them or contact someone who can reach them, and get emergency help right away.
Support is available right now:
- Call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You can also chat at 988lifeline.org.
- Tell someone you trust and do not stay alone.
- LGBTQ+ young people can contact The Trevor Project by calling 1-866-488-7386, texting START to 678-678, or using online chat.
If you or someone you care about is in crisis, get support.
You do not have to handle it alone.
Bullying, cyberbullying, rejection, isolation, relationship problems, and other painful experiences can feel overwhelming. In a crisis, it may be difficult to imagine that your circumstances or feelings could change.
Whether you are struggling, worried about a friend, or concerned about your teen, help is available. The most important step is to tell someone and connect with support.
Every day, students are facing bullying, harassment, and online harm;
often without support. Help us reach them before it escalates.
What Are the Warning Signs of Suicide?
Warning signs may be especially concerning when they are new, increasing, or connected to a painful event, loss, or major change.
A person who may be thinking about suicide might:
- Talk about wanting to die
- Talk about feeling hopeless, trapped, ashamed, or like a burden
- Say there is no reason to live
- Describe unbearable emotional or physical pain
- Look for a way to die or make a suicide plan
- Withdraw from friends, family, or usual activities
- Say goodbye or give away important possessions
- Take unusual or dangerous risks
- Experience extreme mood changes
- Sleep or eat much more or less than usual
- Use alcohol or drugs more frequently
Not everyone who is thinking about suicide will show the same warning signs. A warning sign is not a diagnosis, but any statement about suicide should be taken seriously.
If you are concerned, ask directly and help the person connect with support.
What Should I Do If I Am Thinking About Suicide?
If you are thinking about suicide, tell someone as soon as possible. You do not need to wait until you are certain that the situation is an emergency. You also do not need to find the perfect words.
Tell someone what you are experiencing
You can talk to a parent, family member, trusted adult, teacher, coach, doctor, therapist, resident adviser, or campus counseling center.
Try saying or texting:
- “I’m thinking about suicide, and I need help.”
- “I don’t feel safe being alone right now.”
- “I’m having thoughts about hurting myself. Can you stay with me?”
- “I don’t know how to explain everything, but I need someone to help me.”
- “Can you help me contact someone who knows what to do?”
If speaking feels too difficult, show someone this page or send them one of these statements in a text.
If the first person does not understand or respond, tell someone else. Keep reaching out until someone helps you connect with support.
Do not stay alone
Go somewhere other people are present and ask someone you trust to stay with you.
If you are at school or college, go to a teacher, coach, campus health center, resident adviser, campus counseling center, or another staffed location where you can ask for help.
Put distance between yourself and anything you could use to hurt yourself
Move away from potentially dangerous items or places. Ask someone you trust to secure anything that could be used for self-harm.
If you have a suicide plan and access to anything you could use to carry it out, or if you do not think you can keep yourself safe, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital emergency room immediately!
Focus on the next safe step
You do not have to solve every problem right now. Focus on staying with another person and connecting with help.
Suicidal thoughts and the circumstances surrounding them can change with support and treatment. Continue talking with trusted people and mental-health professionals even if the intensity of the feelings begins to decrease.
What Should I Do If My Friend Is Thinking About Suicide?
You do not need to be certain that your friend is thinking about suicide before checking on them. If something they say or do concerns you, ask them directly.
Ask directly
You can say:
- “You haven’t seemed like yourself lately, and I’m worried about you.”
- “You said that you don’t want to be here anymore. Are you thinking about suicide?”
- “I want to ask you directly because I care about you. Are you thinking about hurting yourself?”
Asking about suicide does not give someone the idea or increase their risk. A direct question can make it easier for your friend to talk honestly about what they are experiencing.
Listen and take them seriously
If your friend says they are thinking about suicide, listen without judging, arguing, or trying to immediately solve the problem.
You can respond:
- “I’m glad you told me.”
- “I believe you, and I’m taking this seriously.”
- “You do not have to handle this alone.”
- “I’m going to stay with you while we find help.”
- “We can tell someone together.”
Take any statement about suicide seriously, even if it is presented as a joke or the person later says they did not mean it. Avoid minimizing their feelings, comparing their situation to others, using guilt, or asking them to promise they will not hurt themselves. A promise is not a safety plan.
Do not promise to keep it secret
Thoughts of suicide are not a secret you should handle alone.
You can say:
- “I care about you too much to keep this a secret.”
- “I need to involve someone who can help keep you safe.”
- “I will stay with you while we tell someone.”
Tell a trusted adult, even if your friend becomes upset or asks you not to. Their safety is more important than keeping the secret.
Help them connect with support
Help your friend contact a parent, family member, trusted adult, doctor, therapist, or another person who can take action. You can also help them call or text 988.
If your friend may be in immediate danger, stay with them, involve a trusted adult, and call 911 or go to an emergency room.
You do not need to determine their level of risk by yourself. Your role is to listen, take them seriously, and connect them with help.
Follow up
Check in with your friend after the immediate crisis. Let them know you still care and encourage them to continue working with trusted adults and mental-health professionals.
Remember that you are their friend, not their therapist. It is okay to ask a trusted adult for support if the experience feels frightening or overwhelming for you, too.
What If Someone Talks About Suicide Online?
If you see a post, message, comment, or video that makes you concerned someone may be thinking about suicide, there are steps you can take:
- Contact the person privately and ask directly if they are thinking about suicide.
- Use the platform’s suicide or self-harm reporting feature.
- If you know who they are and believe they are in immediate danger, call 911 or contact someone who can physically reach them.
- Do not publicly repost, share, or circulate their message.
- Do not try to manage the situation by yourself.
How Are Bullying, Cyberbullying, and Suicide Risk Connected?
Bullying and cyberbullying can have a serious effect on someone’s emotional well-being. Being targeted can leave a person feeling isolated, anxious, depressed, or hopeless and may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts.
At the same time, suicide is complex and is rarely the result of one event or experience. Someone may be coping with several painful circumstances or mental-health challenges that are not visible to others.
When bullying is part of what someone is experiencing, take both the behavior and their emotional distress seriously. If suicidal thoughts are involved, focus first on helping them stay safe and connect with support while also taking steps to address the bullying or cyberbullying they are experiencing.
What Should Parents and Caregivers Do?
It can be frightening to suspect that your teen or young adult is thinking about suicide. Staying calm, asking directly, and taking action can help them feel supported and connect them with appropriate care.
Ask about suicide directly
Begin with what you have noticed:
- “You haven’t seemed like yourself lately, and I’m concerned about you.”
- “You said that you wish you were not here. Are you thinking about suicide?”
- “Do you feel safe right now?”
Asking directly does not put the idea of suicide in someone’s mind. It communicates that you are willing to listen and take their feelings seriously.
Listen without minimizing their feelings
Your first response can influence whether they continue talking.
Try saying:
- “Thank you for telling me.”
- “I’m here, and we are going to get support together.”
- “You do not have to explain everything right now. Our first step is making sure you are safe.”
Avoid debating whether they should feel this way or immediately focusing on the underlying problem. A breakup, conflict with a friend, bullying incident, academic setback, or online experience may seem temporary to you but feel overwhelming to them.
Do not dismiss statements about suicide as drama, manipulation, attention-seeking, or an overreaction. Take every disclosure seriously.
Take immediate safety precautions
If your teen or young adult may be in immediate danger:
- Do not leave them alone.
- Reduce their access to anything they could use to hurt themselves.
- Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
- Call or text 988 for additional support and guidance.
If they refuse help but you believe they may be in immediate danger, call 911 or take them to an emergency room.
If they live away from home, contact someone who can physically reach them, such as a trusted friend, family member, resident adviser, campus health center, or emergency services.
Arrange professional help
Contact their doctor, therapist, psychiatrist, campus counseling center, or another qualified mental-health provider. Ask how quickly they can receive a suicide-risk evaluation.
If they resist seeking help, contact their doctor or mental-health provider for guidance on the next step.
Keep scheduled appointments even if they say they feel better. An improvement in mood does not eliminate the need for a planned evaluation or continued support.
Continue support after the immediate crisis
Support should continue after the most intense moment has passed.
- Follow the treatment or safety plan developed with qualified professionals.
- Continue checking in without making every conversation an interrogation.
- Keep reducing access to anything that could be used for self-harm.
- Help them attend appointments and follow-up care.
- Watch for new or increasing warning signs.
- Remind them that asking for help is always allowed, even if they have asked before.
Recovery may take time. Consistent, calm support can help them know they do not have to face difficult moments alone.
Where Can Young People, Friends, and Families Get Help?
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Call or text 988, or use the online chat at 988lifeline.org.
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides free, confidential support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can contact 988 for yourself or because you are worried about someone else.
The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project provides free and confidential crisis support for LGBTQ+ young people 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
- Call 1-866-488-7386
- Text START to 678-678
- Use online chat at TheTrevorProject.org/Get-Help
Other people and places that can help
Depending on your age and circumstances, support may also be available from:
- A parent or family member
- Another trusted adult
- A teacher or coach you trust
- A doctor, therapist, or psychiatrist
- A college or university counseling center
- A resident adviser or campus health center
- The nearest hospital emergency room
Sources and Further Information
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
- National Institute of Mental Health: Warning Signs of Suicide
- National Institute of Mental Health: 5 Action Steps to Help Someone Having Thoughts of Suicide
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Suicide Risk and Protective Factors
- The Trevor Project: Crisis Support for LGBTQ+ Young People
This page provides general educational information and is not a substitute for professional mental-health care, diagnosis, or treatment.
Last updated: September 2026
Every day, students are facing bullying, harassment, and online harm;
often without support. Help us reach them before it escalates.
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