If you need help now, contact 911 or a crisis intervention service.

Suicide affects people of all ages and backgrounds. Eleven people die by suicide every day in Canada. Further, more than 1 in 10 people in Canada have had thoughts of suicide at some point in their lives.

Suicide is a serious and preventable public health problem. Everyone can play a role in preventing suicide by:

building social connections
promoting healthy living (e.g., learning and sharing coping skills)
identifying and supporting those with thoughts of suicide
promoting strengthened financial supports and stable housing for households in your community

Suicide is often related to complex stressors, health problems, and adverse life experiences. You can help save a life by having the skills to be alert to the signs of suicide and responding with support.

Men's support group

Help is available.

Thoughts of suicide can happen to anyone. Help is available if you, or someone you know, is having thoughts of suicide.

Learn about the mental health services in your area:

Mental Health Services

If you need help now, contact 911 or a crisis intervention service.

Crisis Services

What are the warning signs?

There is a broad range of signs someone may be thinking of suicide. A helpful guide of warning signs of suicide spells IS PATH WARM:

I - Ideation: thinking about suicide
S - Substance use: problems with alcohol or other substances

P - Purposelessness: feeling like there is no purpose in life or reason for living
A - Anxiety: feeling intense anxiety or feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope
T - Trapped: feeling trapped or feeling like there is no way out of a situation
H - Hopelessness or Helplessness: feeling no hope for the future, feeling like things will never get better

W - Withdrawal: avoiding family, friends, or activities
A - Anger: feeling unreasonable anger
R - Recklessness: engaging in risky or harmful activities normally avoided
M - Mood change: a significant change in mood

Experiences with thoughts of suicide can vary from person to person and there is no clear checklist for warning signs.

Remember, thoughts of suicide can affect anyone regardless of how they present themselves or how their life appears to be from the outside.

It is most important to take thoughts of suicide seriously so support can be put in place.

What can I do if I experience thoughts of suicide?

Having thoughts of suicide can be difficult and scary to deal with. It's important to know you are not alone.

Talk about these experiences with your doctor, mental health care provider, or someone you trust. They can assist with learning coping skills and help connect you with the proper resources.

Other things you can do include:

Schedule regular appointments with your care providers.
Connect with family, friends, or a support group. It can be helpful to talk with others who have experienced thoughts of suicide to learn about their coping strategies.
If you are in crisis and are not sure what to do, you can always contact 911 or a crisis intervention service:

Crisis Intervention Services

Do not keep these thoughts to yourself. There are people willing to help.

Create a safety plan

Some people find a safety plan useful when experiencing thoughts of suicide. A safety plan is a list of supports to guide someone if they think they are at risk of hurting themselves or ending their life. You can create a plan on your own, with a loved one, or with a mental health professional. Your plan may include:

Your own emotional triggers and warning signs when reaching a state of suicidal crisis
Your own personal reasons for living
Key people to call if you are worried about your safety
Phone numbers for local crisis intervention services
A list of safe places to go if you do not feel safe at home
Coping strategies that have worked for you in the past, and/or strategies you think may work.

Safety Plan Template

How can I help a loved one?

If you need help now, contact 911 or a crisis intervention service. Stay with your loved one while you make the call, and do not leave until the crisis worker or emergency responder says you can leave.

The two most important things you can do to help your loved one are to:

1) listen

2) help them connect with mental health services.

If you're concerned about someone else, be direct and talk with them. Ask them if they are thinking about suicide – using the language of “suicide”.

Talking about suicide will not cause suicide. If someone is considering suicide, talking about it can provide relief, and listening is the best support anyone can give.

Here are tips for talking with a loved one:

Find a private place to talk and let your loved one take as much time as they need.
Take what they say seriously and be non-judgmental.
Validate their feelings – what they are feeling is very real.
Do not minimize the feelings expressed by the person.
Keep your word—do not make a promise you cannot keep or don't intend to keep.
Do not challenge or argue with the loved one – stay calm and supportive.
Ask if there's anything you can do.
Tell your loved one they are important, and that you care about them.

As a helper, you may experience thoughts and feelings that are uncomfortable. These feelings are normal and valid. It's okay to reach out for help.

Common myths about suicide

Myth: It is dangerous to ask someone if they are considering suicide.

Fact: Talking about suicide may reduce suicide ideation and prevent suicide. Talking about suicide can improve mental health outcomes and increase the likelihood of the person seeking help.

Myth: People considering suicide only want to end their life.

Fact: A person who attempts suicide does not necessarily want to die, but they do want to end their emotional pain. They may be overwhelmed with hopelessness and unable to see another way out of their situation. It is important to know that thoughts of suicide can pass. People who have thought about or attempted suicide in the past can go on to live full and rich lives.

Myth: Suicide is a sign of weakness.

Fact: Suicide is not weak, selfish, or a cry for attention. These ideas contribute to the stigma that surrounds suicide. Stigma is dangerous and can stop people from seeking help. Talking about suicide is important and can help break down the stigma.

Suicide-Safe Language

By using language that is suicide-safe, we can help to reduce the stigma around suicide and promote an environment where people can openly and safely talk about suicide. This can help encourage people to get help when they need it.

When talking about suicide, it's important to keep your language clear, factual and neutral.

Examples

Do say	Avoid saying
Die by suicide Died by suicide Death by suicide	Commit suicide Committed suicide
Suicide attempt Attempted suicide	Successful suicide Completed suicide Failed suicide Failed attempt Incomplete suicide Unsuccessful suicide
Populations with potentially high risk for suicide Factors that may increase people’s risk for suicide	High-risk people/ populations/groups At-risk Vulnerable or susceptible

Use person-first language

Using person-first language is another way to avoid stigmatizing suicide. It respects people’s identities and experiences, rather than labelling or grouping them.

Do say:

Person who died by suicide
Person thinking about suicide
Person feeling suicidal

Avoid saying:

Suicide victim
Suicidal

Learn more

Media guidelines

Media surrounding suicide can be a sensitive topic and lead to suicide exposure effects. Suicide exposure effects can happen when a person is exposed to the details of a death by suicide which leads to suicidal thoughts for themselves. Therefore, it's important for media to follow certain guidelines when reporting on suicide.

Here are some general guidelines to consider:

Do

Use suicide-safe language that is neutral and factual language when discussing suicide.
Provide information about resources for help and support. Include crisis services, support groups, and mental health services.
Include messages of support. Having messages of support in news about death by suicide can help encourage others who are thinking about suicide. Examples of supportive messages include:
- Help is available
- You are not alone
- You matter
Be inclusive and mindful of diverse populations. Remember, there is no single cause of suicide, and there is complexity in every situation.

Avoid

Using emotionally charged language that can lead to stigmatization or shame
Glorifying suicide or presenting it in a way that will make it seem desirable to others
Describing the details of the method of suicide. Including the details of a death by suicide can provide a guide for individuals who are thinking about suicide.

By following these guidelines, media can report on suicide in a responsible manner that promotes public awareness and support for individuals who may be thinking about suicide.

Suicide Prevention Training

safeTALK is an in-person suicide alertness workshop for anyone aged 15 or older. During the half-day workshop, participants learn how to:

prevent suicide by recognizing signs that someone is thinking of suicide
engage someone in a direct conversation about suicide, and
connect them to an intervention resource for further support.

We offer this in-person training by request to groups or organizations with at least 20 people prepared to take the training.

Interested in hosting a safeTALK workshop?

Email Us

safeTALK is one of three core trainings developed by LivingWorks. Learn more.

Indigenous child and young adult playing outdoors together in winter

Life Promotion by and for Indigenous Youth

Life promotion is about more than preventing death – it's about equipping young people with the tools and strength to face life’s challenges and live long healthy lives. It is a strengths-based way to restore Hope, Belonging, Meaning, and Purpose among Indigenous youth.

Building on intergenerational resiliency, life promotion focuses on passing down tools and strength through generations and from all relations past and present. It encourages young people to strengthen their connection to land, community, self, and spirit.

Find resources, tools, and teachings in this youth-led resource developed by the Youth Action Group for Life Promotion and the Thunderbird Partnership Foundation:

Strengthening Our Connection to Promote Life: A Life Promotion Toolkit by Indigenous Youth

More Resources

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health:

References

Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention. (n.d.). I’m Having Thoughts of Suicide. www.suicideprevention.ca/im-having- thoughts-of-suicide
Canadian Mental Health Association. (2016). Preventing Suicide. https://nbd.cmha.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Preventing-Suicide-NTNL-brochure-2014-web.pdf
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. (n.d.). Suicide. https://www.camh.ca/en/health-info/mental-illness-and-addiction-index/suicide
Government of Canada. (2021, July 5). Language Matters: Safe Communication for Suicide Prevention. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/healthy-living/language-matters-safe-communication-suicide-prevention.html
Niagara Region. (n.d.). Suicide Prevention and Life Promotion. https://www.niagararegion.ca/living/health_wellness/mentalhealth/wellbeing/suicide-prevention.aspx
Talk suicide. (n.d.). Facts about suicide. https://talksuicide.ca/understanding-suicide/facts-about-suicide
Talk suicide. (n.d.). Guidance for the media. https://talksuicide.ca/understanding-suicide/media-guidelines
Talk suicide. (n.d.). Suicide-safe language. https://talksuicide.ca/understanding-suicide/suicide-safe-language
Thunderbird Partnership Foundation. (2021). Strengthening our connections to promote life: A toolkit by Indigenous Youth. https://thunderbirdpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Life-Promotion-Toolkit-WEB.pdf