Preventing suicide: Warning signs and how to help

Help is available for suicide crisis and prevention.

Get support from a local crisis centre. There is also Talk Suicide Canada (1-833-456-4566), Kids Help Phone, the Hope for Wellness Help Line, and 1 866 APPELLE (277-3553) (Quebec residents), that all offer 24/7 support.

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call 9-1-1.

It's important to get help if you or someone you know is going through a crisis or thinking about suicide. You're not alone. Learn about the resources available to you.

Warning signs of suicide

Warning signs that might suggest someone is at risk of suicide include:

thinking or talking about suicide
having a plan for suicide

Other signs and behaviours that might suggest that someone is at risk of suicide include:

withdrawal from family, friends or activities
feeling like you have no purpose in life or reason for living
increasing substance use, like drugs, alcohol and inhalants
feeling trapped or that there's no other way out of a situation
feeling hopeless about the future or feeling like life will never get better
talking about being a burden to someone or about being in unbearable pain
anxiety or significant mood changes, such as anger, sadness or helplessness

Get help

If you need to talk and you:

are not feeling yourself
are experiencing a crisis
have emotional pain
know someone who needs help

Talk Suicide Canada

If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, call Talk Suicide Canada at 1-833-456-4566 (24/7) or text 45645 (4 PM - 12 AM ET).

For residents of Québec, call 1 866 APPELLE (1-866-277-3553) (24/7) or visit suicide.ca.

Visit Talk Suicide Canada for the distress centres and crisis organizations nearest you.

Kids Help Phone

Call 1-800-668-6868 (toll-free) or text CONNECT to 686868.

Available 24 hours a day to Canadians aged 5 to 29 who want confidential and anonymous care from professional counsellors.

Download the Always There app for additional support or access the Kids Help Phone website.

Hope for Wellness Help Line

Call 1-855-242-3310 (toll-free) or connect to the online Hope for Wellness chat.

Available to all Indigenous peoples across Canada who need immediate crisis intervention. Experienced and culturally sensitive help line counsellors can help if you want to talk or are distressed.

Telephone and online counselling are available in English and French. On request, telephone counselling is also available in Cree, Ojibway and Inuktitut.

How to help someone in crisis

Talking honestly, responsibly and safely about suicide can help you determine if someone needs help. If you want to help someone in crisis, try:

listening and showing concern
- showing concern can be an immediate way to help someone
- listening won't increase the risk of suicide and it may save a life
talking with them and reassuring them that they're not alone
letting them know you care
connecting them with a:
- crisis line
- counsellor
- trusted person (neighbour, friend, family member or Elder)

For more information

Date modified:: 2022-09-02

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