Suicide Awareness Month: Warning Signs, How to Help and Where to Find Support
Written by Breanne Griffin, Registered Psychotherapist
Adapted and edited for Hudson Integrative Healthcare
September is Suicide Awareness Month, an important opportunity to talk openly about suicide, self-harm and mental health.
Despite greater awareness of mental health in recent years, stigma can still cause people to hide what they are experiencing. Someone may appear to be functioning well on the outside while privately feeling overwhelmed, hopeless or alone.
One of the most important messages to remember is this:
Talking about suicide and mental health does not make the problem worse. Silence and isolation can.
As humans, we are relational beings. We need connection, support and opportunities to speak openly about what we are going through. Sharing a struggle does not make it more real—it means someone no longer has to carry that struggle completely alone. This was one of the central messages in Breanne’s original Suicide Awareness Month piece.
If you or someone you know may be in immediate danger, call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest emergency department. In Canada, you can also call or text 9-8-8, the Suicide Crisis Helpline, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. (9-8-8: Suicide Crisis Helpline)
Suicide in Canada: Why Awareness Matters
Suicide continues to affect individuals, families and communities across Canada.
According to the Public Health Agency of Canada:
- Approximately 4,750 people die by suicide each year, or about 13 people every day.
- Suicide rates are approximately three times higher among men than women, with men accounting for nearly three-quarters of suicide deaths.
- Suicide remains the second leading cause of death among youth and young adults ages 15–34.
- Approximately 20,000 hospitalizations related to self-harm occur in Canada each year.
- Hundreds of thousands more Canadians experience suicide plans or serious thoughts of suicide each year. (Health Infobase)
These statistics represent real people. They also remind us why creating space for conversations about mental health matters.
Warning Signs That Someone May Be Struggling
There is no single way that suicidal thoughts look. Some people communicate their distress openly, while others may conceal it.
Changes that may warrant additional attention include:
- Sleeping or eating significantly more or less than usual
- Expressions of hopelessness
- Extreme sadness, anxiety or agitation
- Feeling that emotional or physical pain is unbearable
- Withdrawing from family, friends or usual activities
- Significant or sudden mood changes
- Giving away meaningful personal belongings
- Engaging in unusual or increasingly risky behaviour
Breanne identified these warning signs in her original resource as reasons to notice changes, start a conversation and offer support.
A warning sign does not automatically mean that someone is suicidal. However, a meaningful change in behaviour—especially alongside hopelessness, withdrawal or comments about dying—is worth taking seriously.
What Can You Do If You Are Having Thoughts of Self-Harm or Suicide?
When emotional pain becomes overwhelming, it can become difficult to imagine that circumstances can change.
The immediate goal does not have to be solving everything. It can simply be getting through the current moment safely and involving another person in what you are experiencing.
Consider:
- Tell someone you trust what is happening.
- Move into an environment where you feel safer and are not isolated.
- Call or text 9-8-8 for immediate crisis support.
- Connect with your therapist, physician or another healthcare professional.
- Use a previously helpful grounding or distraction strategy, such as going for a walk, exercising, changing your environment, writing, creating something or focusing on a sensory experience.
- Reduce access to anything you might use to seriously harm yourself.
- If you are unable to stay safe, call 9-1-1 or go to an emergency department.
Canada’s 9-8-8 service is available by phone or text every day of the year. Its guidance also emphasizes recognizing suicidal thoughts, remembering strategies that have helped previously and connecting with support rather than managing the crisis alone. (9-8-8: Suicide Crisis Helpline)
How to Help Someone Who May Be Suicidal
It can feel frightening to ask someone directly whether they are thinking about suicide. You may worry that mentioning suicide will put the idea into their mind.
You do not need to avoid the subject.
If you are concerned, ask clearly and directly whether the person is thinking about suicide or hurting themselves. Breanne’s original guidance specifically emphasizes asking rather than leaving the concern unspoken.
Listen without judgement. You do not need to immediately fix the person’s problems or find the perfect words.
If they tell you they are considering suicide, ask whether they have a plan and whether they have access to the means they would use. Help reduce access where it can be done safely, and help them connect with appropriate professional or crisis support.
If you believe their safety is in immediate danger, call 9-1-1.
Sometimes one of the most meaningful things you can communicate is simply: I am here. I believe you. We can find help together.
Why Connection Matters
In the therapy room, people often express feelings such as:
“I’m so lonely.”
“No one understands.”
“I don’t want to be a burden.”
“I just want the pain to stop.”
These were themes Breanne highlighted from her experience as a therapist.
For many people experiencing suicidal thoughts, the desire is closely connected to wanting overwhelming emotional pain or distress to stop.
That is why connection can matter so much.
Talking with another person can help create space between the pain someone is experiencing today and the actions they might otherwise take because of it.
How Therapy Can Help
Therapy offers a confidential, supportive and non-judgemental environment to explore what you are experiencing.
Together with a therapist, you may explore:
- What is contributing to the way you are feeling
- Patterns that may be increasing emotional distress
- Healthier ways to respond when thoughts or emotions become overwhelming
- Coping and emotional-regulation strategies
- Relationships, boundaries and communication
- Ways to increase connection and reduce isolation
- A plan for moving forward when things feel difficult
Talking openly about painful thoughts and experiences can also reduce the sense that they need to be hidden.
Just as importantly, the relationship with your therapist matters.
Not every therapist will be the right fit for every person. It is okay to speak with more than one therapist, ask questions about their approach and find someone with whom you feel comfortable and understood. Breanne specifically encourages consultation calls as a way of finding that fit.
Mental Health and Suicide Crisis Resources in Canada
9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline
Call or text 9-8-8 — available 24/7 across Canada. If someone’s safety is immediately at risk, call 9-1-1. (9-8-8: Suicide Crisis Helpline)
Kids Help Phone
Call 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868. Phone and text support are available 24/7. (Kids Help Phone)
Hope for Wellness Helpline
For Indigenous people across Canada: 1-855-242-3310, with telephone and online chat support available 24/7. (Hope for Wellness Helpline)
Trans Lifeline Canada
Call 1-877-330-6366. Trans Lifeline is a peer-support line run by and for trans people. (Trans Lifeline)
ConnexOntario
Call 1-866-531-2600 or text CONNEX to 247247 for free and confidential information about mental health, addiction and gambling treatment services throughout Ontario. (ConnexOntario)
COAST Hamilton
Call 905-972-8338. The Crisis Outreach and Support Team provides a 24/7 crisis line for people experiencing mental health or addiction-related crises in Hamilton. (St. Joseph’s Healthcare)
COAST Niagara / Mental Health & Addictions Access Line
Call 1-866-550-5205 for crisis support or information about mental health and addiction services in Niagara. (Niagara Health)
You Do Not Have to Carry It Alone
Mental health struggles often become heavier when they are carried privately.
Whether you are experiencing suicidal thoughts yourself or are worried about someone you care about, connection is an important first step.
Talk to someone. Ask the difficult question. Reach out to a therapist. Call a crisis line. If one form of support does not feel like the right fit, keep looking for another.
There are people who want to hear from you and help you find a way forward.
Connect With Our Psychotherapy Team in Stoney Creek
If you are looking for support with anxiety, depression, stress, relationships, emotional regulation or other mental health concerns, psychotherapy is available through Hudson Integrative Healthcare.
Our psychotherapy team includes Breanne Griffin, Registered Psychotherapist, Sarah Prashad, Registered Psychotherapist, and Madeleine Elton, RN Psychotherapist.
Breanne Griffin, RP, and Sarah Prashad, RP, provide psychotherapy under the Registered Psychotherapist designation. Breanne offers both in-person appointments at our Stoney Creek clinic and virtual video appointments, while Sarah offers virtual video psychotherapy appointments.
Madeleine Elton, RN Psychotherapist, also provides psychotherapy through Hudson Integrative Healthcare under her Registered Nurse designation.
Psychotherapy Appointment Options
- Breanne Griffin, RP: In-person in Stoney Creek + virtual video appointments
- Sarah Prashad, RP: Virtual video appointments
- Madeleine Elton, RN Psychotherapist: In-person in Stoney Creek + virtual video appointments
Insurance & Direct Billing
Our front desk can direct bill eligible extended health insurance plans for psychotherapy appointments with Breanne Griffin, RP, and Sarah Prashad, RP.
Direct billing is not currently available for RN Psychotherapy appointments with Madeleine Elton. Clients may still be eligible for reimbursement depending on their individual insurance plan and coverage for Registered Nurse services.
Because coverage varies between providers and plans, we recommend that clients review their individual insurance policy details or contact their insurer directly before booking if reimbursement is important to them.
Hudson Integrative Healthcare
7 King St. East
Stoney Creek, Ontario
Please note: Psychotherapy appointments are not a substitute for emergency or crisis care. If you are currently at risk of harming yourself or someone else, call or text 9-8-8, call 9-1-1, or attend your nearest emergency department.
Book Online
