What to do if you think someone you know isn't okay.
Many people struggle to cope at one point or another of their lives. Experiencing a range of emotions during these times is common.
Signs that someone may not be okay
- Feeling restless and agitated
- Feeling tearful
- Not wanting to talk to or be with people
- Not wanting to do things you usually enjoy
- Using alcohol or drugs to cope with feelings
- Finding it hard to cope with everyday things
- Not replying to messages or being distant
You might not always be able to spot these signs, and these emotions show up differently in everyone.
Situations to look out for
It can also be useful to identify these situations that can trigger suicidal thoughts or make it hard for someone to cope.
- relationship and family problems
- loss, including loss of a friend or a family member through bereavement
- financial worries
- job-related stress
- college or study-related stress
- loneliness and isolation
- depression
- painful and/or disabling physical illness
- heavy use of or dependency on alcohol or other drugs
- thoughts of suicide
Again, these may not apply to everyone who is struggling, but they can be useful to look out for.
What you can do
- Talk to them about their feelings. Here's our advice on having a difficult conversation.
- Encourage them to contact us. They can call on 116 123, email [email protected], visit one of our branches in person or send us a letter.
- If they need advice on a particular issue, they can get in touch with one of these specialist organisations.
- You can contact us on their behalf. If you call us or email, we can reach out to them. We won't tell them you asked us to do that unless you want us to.
- If you think they are in immediate danger, you can call an ambulance on 999. We can call an ambulance on your behalf.
Supporting someone you know online
You can look out for similar signs and situations, and should try talking to them about their feelings, following our suggestions above.
Some phrases or themes to watch out for in social media updates and online messages include:
- I want to give up
- No-one would notice if I wasn’t here
- I hate myself
We all experience not being okay differently. Not everyone who is struggling to cope will use these phrases, in fact some people might not be posting or messaging at all.
Looking after yourself
Supporting someone in distress can be distressing in itself. If you're helping someone who's struggling, make sure you take care of yourself as well.
If you need to talk about how you are feeling, please call Samaritans on 116 123, or email on [email protected], whenever you need.
Call us
Whatever you're going through, call us free any time, from any phone, on 116 123.
Benefits
- Free
- One-to-one
- Open 24 hours a day
Maybe not if...
- You have patchy phone signal
- You prefer to write things down
- You're looking for advice
Call us any time, day or night 116 123
Visit a branch
Visit a local Samaritans branch
Benefits
- Meet face-to-face
- Safe branch environment
- Branches all around the UK and ROI
Maybe not if...
- You need urgent support right now
- You need support outside opening hours
- You prefer to stay anonymous
Write a letter
Sometimes writing down your thoughts and feelings can help you better understand them.
Benefits
- Free
- Time to compose your thoughts
- Time to reflect between letters
Maybe not if...
- You need urgent support right now
- You have no fixed address
- It's hard for you to post a letter
Write to us
Chris
Freepost RSRB-KKBY-CYJK
PO Box 9090
STIRLING
FK8 2SA
Email us
Sometimes writing down your thoughts and feelings can help you understand them better.
Benefits
- Time to compose your thoughts
- No need to respond right away
- Work things through over time
Maybe not if...
- You need urgent support right now
- You want to talk things through in one go
- You want to speak to the same person throughout
[email protected]
Response time: 24 hours