Suicidal urges, learn to detect the warning signs

Mental Health
January 13, 2022 •  By Centraide
deux personnes de dos sur un banc

Le suicide frSuicide hits the families, friends and colleagues of the victims hard. For many, after the stupefaction and the sorrow comes the incomprehension. The same question keeps coming up: Why didn’t I see this coming?

During the 32th National Suicide Prevention Week, Centraide of Greater Montreal wishes to relay the message of Suicide Action Montréal, a community agency supported by Centraide. You can learn how to identify the warning signs, listed below:


Demeaning words
  • Talking about suicide or wanting to “end it all”
  • Frequent self-criticism, low self-esteem, high susceptibility
  • Despair or loss of hope
  • Saying goodbye
The worrying signs
  • Withdrawal and abandonment of usual activities
  • Drafting final disposition documents, making donations, bequests
  • Have a strong interest in death
  • Researching methods or means of committing suicide
  • Risky behaviours
  • Behavioural changes
  • Physical changes
  • Sudden serenity and detachment

Or find on the site of Suicide Action Montréal a (non-exhaustive) list of risk factors, vulnerable populations and protective factors.