A person who is experiencing or could experience suicidal thoughts may show the following signs or symptoms:feeling or appearing to feel trapped or hopelessfeeling intolerable emotional painhaving or appearing to have an abnormal preoccupation with violence, dying, or deathhaving mood swings, either happy or sadtalking about revenge, guilt, or shamebeing agitated, or in a heightened state of anxietyexperiencing changes in personality, routine, or sleeping patternsconsuming drugs or more alcohol than usual, or starting drinking when they had not previously done soengaging in risky behavior, such as driving carelessly or taking drugsgetting their affairs in order and giving things awaygetting hold of a gun, medications, or substances that could end a lifeexperiencing depression, panic attacks, impaired concentrationincreased isolationtalking about being a burden to otherspsychomotor agitation, such as pacing around a room, wringing one’s hands, and removing items of clothing and putting them back onsaying goodbye to others as if it were the last timeseeming to be unable to experience pleasurable emotions from normally pleasurable life events such as eating, exercise, social interaction, or sexsevere remorse and self criticismtalking about suicide or dying, expressing regret about being alive or ever having been bornA significant number of people with suicidal ideation keep their thoughts and feelings a secret and show no signs that anything is wrong.

Suicide preventionIf you know someone at immediate risk of self-harm, suicide, or hurting another person:Call 911 or the local emergency number.Stay with the person until professional help arrives.Remove any weapons, medications, or other potentially harmful objects.Listen to the person without judgment.If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, a prevention hotline can help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-273-8255.

Personality makes each of us different. Our style of behavior, how we react, our worldview, thoughts, feelings, and how we interact in relationships are all part of what makes up our personality.