If you’re a Veteran in a mental health crisis and you’re thinking about hurting yourself—or you know a Veteran who’s considering this—get help right away. You’re not alone.
Information for family, friends, and caregivers
What are the signs that someone may be considering suicide?
Many Veterans don’t show any signs of an urge to harm themselves before doing so. But some may show signs of depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, or hopelessness, like:
- Seeming sad, depressed, anxious, or agitated most of the time
- Sleeping either all the time or not much at all
- Not caring about what they look like or what happens to them
- Pulling away from friends, family, and society
- Losing interest in hobbies, work, school, or other things they used to care about
- Expressing feelings of excessive guilt or shame, failure, lack of purpose in life, or being trapped
They may also change the way they act, and start to:
- Perform poorly at work or school
- Act violently or take risks (like driving fast or running red lights)
- Do things to prepare for a suicide (like giving away special personal items, making a will, or seeking access to guns or pills)
Get Help
- Phone +1 800 273 8255. or Dial 988 on any phone and then select “1” when prompted.
- Text 838255
- Take the Self-Check Quiz by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the VA. Click Here
- Visit the VA’s Suicide Prevention Website: Click Here
- If you are a homeless veteran, Phone +1 877 424 3838
- Visit the VA’s Mental Health site: Click Here
You can also:
- Call 911.
- Go to the nearest emergency room.
- Go directly to your nearest VA medical center. It doesn’t matter what your discharge status is or if you’re enrolled in VA health care.
Find your nearest VA medical center
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