If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, help is available. Call or text 988 for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Veterans and service members can call 988 and press 1, or text 838255.
If a life is in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
What Is Suicide?
Suicide is death caused by injuring oneself with the intent to die. It is a public health issue that touches people of every age, background, and community. Behind every loss is a person, and a circle of family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors who are changed by it.
Suicidal thoughts are thoughts about ending one’s life. They can range from a passing wish not to wake up to detailed planning. Having these thoughts is a sign that someone is carrying more pain than they can manage alone. It is not a character flaw, and most people who have suicidal thoughts do not act on them. A suicide attempt is a non-fatal act of self-injury with intent to die. A suicide death is when that act ends a life. Each deserves serious attention.
Suicide is rarely the result of one cause. A crisis usually builds from a combination of psychological, social, environmental, and situational factors, such as mental health conditions, substance use, loss, isolation, financial or legal stress, and access to lethal means. Because the causes are layered, prevention works on many levels at once.
Suicide is preventable. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, strengthening connection, improving access to care, teaching coping skills, and creating safer environments all reduce risk. Honest conversations, trusted relationships, and appropriate professional care matter. Asking someone how they are really doing, and staying with the answer, can open the door to help.
Warning Signs of Suicide
Warning signs vary from person to person and are not always visible. Any of these deserves attention, especially when they are new, increasing, or follow a painful event or loss.
Talking about wanting to die
Saying they want to die, wish they were not here, or feel hopeless about the future.
Feeling trapped or in unbearable pain
Describing emotional pain that feels impossible to escape or endure.
Withdrawing from others
Pulling away from friends, family, and activities they once valued.
Giving away possessions
Giving away important belongings or unexpectedly putting affairs in order.
Big changes in mood or behavior
Sudden shifts such as agitation, rage, or an unexpected calm after a period of distress.
More alcohol or substance use
Drinking or using drugs more than usual.
Talking about being a burden
Saying others would be better off without them.
Changes in sleep
Sleeping much more or much less than usual.
Taking dangerous risks or preparing
Reckless behavior, saying goodbye, or making preparations for death.
What Should You Do if You Recognize These Signs?
Ask directly and compassionately
“Are you thinking about suicide?” Asking does not plant the idea. It opens the door to an honest answer.
Listen without judgment
Let them talk. You do not need to fix the pain or argue with it.
Stay with them if they are in immediate danger
When it is safe for you to do so, do not leave someone alone who may act soon.
Help them connect with 988 or professional care
Call or text 988 together. Veterans and service members can call 988 and press 1, or text 838255.
Reduce access to lethal means when safe
Store firearms, medications, and alcohol away from the person during a crisis, if this can be done safely.
Follow up
Check in the next day and the weeks after. Staying in contact matters after the crisis passes.
If someone is in immediate, life-threatening danger, call 911. See where to find immediate help.
Suicide Statistics in the United States
49,476
People in the United States died by suicide in 2022, about one death every 11 minutes.
Source: CDC, Suicide Data and Statistics. Reporting year 2022.
About 36%
Increase in the U.S. suicide rate between 2000 and 2022.
Source: CDC, Suicide Data and Statistics. Years 2000 to 2022.
6,488 veterans
Died by suicide in 2024, an average of 17.7 per day, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. This VA count covers suicide deaths only. It is different from broader estimates that combine suicide with other self-injury deaths.
Source: VA Suicide Prevention data. Reporting year 2024. Read the full veteran suicide data or see what the veteran suicide statistics show.
Every suicide also affects the people left behind: families, friends, units, and communities. Published counts reflect the latest final data available, which is typically two or more years behind the current date.
Suicide Among Those Who Serve
Military personnel, veterans, and first responders can face experiences that add strain. These factors do not cause suicide on their own, and most people who live through them never experience a suicidal crisis. They are reasons to stay connected and make support easy to reach.
- Transition to civilian life
- Social isolation and loss of belonging
- Exposure to traumatic events
- Mental health conditions
- Relationship and financial stress
- Difficulty accessing or seeking support
- Stigma and barriers to help-seeking
Red Star Foundation focuses on meaningful connection and community-based prevention: making sure those who serve, and their families, know they belong and are not alone.
When Suicide Happens, Families Are Left Behind
Suicide loss brings grief that is often tangled with unanswered questions, guilt, and anger. Stigma can make families feel they cannot talk openly about how their loved one died. Relationships within the family may strain, and many survivors feel isolated from the communities that once surrounded them.
Remembrance and community matter. That is why Red Star Foundation created Red Star Families.
Honoring the Forgotten Families
The Red Star Service Banner is a symbol of hope, recognition, and connection for families of military personnel, veterans, and first responders lost to suicide.
How Red Star Foundation Is Working to Prevent Suicide
Red Star Voices
Personal stories of suicide loss, hope, connection, and survival, shared to encourage meaningful conversations and help-seeking.
Red Star Pledge
A personal commitment to seek connection and support. A pledge is not a substitute for crisis intervention or professional care.
Peer-to-Peer Connection
Our goal is to connect people who serve, veterans, and families with others who understand. The peer network is still being developed, and peer support complements professional care rather than replacing it.
Red Star Families
Recognition, remembrance, and connection for families affected by suicide loss, including the Red Star Service Banner.
Where to Find Suicide Prevention Help
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Call or text 988
Free, confidential support 24/7 for anyone in emotional distress or suicidal crisis.
Veterans Crisis Line
Call 988 and press 1, or text 838255
For veterans, service members, and the people who care about them. Online chat is also available.
VA mental health services
va.gov mental health
How to get mental health care through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
National Institute of Mental Health
nimh.nih.gov suicide prevention
Federal research agency information on suicide risk, warning signs, and treatment.
CDC suicide prevention
cdc.gov suicide prevention
Public health guidance on preventing suicide in communities.
Red Star Foundation does not operate an emergency crisis hotline and is not a substitute for emergency medical care or licensed clinical treatment. In an emergency, call 911.
Frequently Asked Questions About Suicide
What are the most common warning signs of suicide?
Talking about wanting to die or being a burden, feeling hopeless or trapped, withdrawing from others, giving away possessions, increased alcohol or drug use, changes in sleep, sudden mood changes, and reckless behavior. Signs vary, and some people show none.
What should I do if someone says they want to die?
Take it seriously. Ask directly whether they are thinking about suicide, listen, and stay with them if they may be in immediate danger. Call or text 988 together. If a life is in immediate danger, call 911.
Can asking someone about suicide make things worse?
No. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, asking directly about suicide does not increase suicidal thoughts and can help a person feel heard.
What is the suicide prevention hotline number?
Call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Veterans and service members can call 988 and press 1, or text 838255, to reach the Veterans Crisis Line.
How can someone help a veteran who is struggling?
Reach out regularly, listen without judgment, and help them connect with the Veterans Crisis Line or VA mental health care. Our veteran suicide prevention guide has practical steps.
Are suicidal thoughts treatable?
Yes. Suicidal thoughts can be treated with professional care, such as therapy, medication when appropriate, and safety planning with a qualified clinician. Many people who experience suicidal thoughts recover.
How can families cope after losing someone to suicide?
Grief after suicide is often complicated by unanswered questions and stigma. Connecting with other loss survivors, grief counseling, and remembrance can help. Red Star Families offers recognition and connection, and our mental health and counseling resource list can help you find support.
What does Red Star Foundation do to prevent suicide?
Red Star Foundation raises awareness and builds connection through programs such as Red Star Voices, the Red Star Pledge, and Red Star Families. We are not a crisis service or a clinical provider. See our programs.
Sources
- CDC: Suicide Data and Statistics
- CDC: Suicide Prevention
- National Institute of Mental Health: Suicide Prevention
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Suicide Prevention Data
- VA suicide prevention programs
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
- Veterans Crisis Line
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