Call: 988 and press 1 for the Military Crisis Line.
Talk to Someone Now
Do you know someone who needs help? Contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline to learn ways you can help.
Call: 988 and press 1 for the Military Crisis Line.
Help is free and confidential, and you’ll be immediately connected to a skilled, trained counselor in your area.
Learn to recognize the warning signs of suicide.
Ask, Care, Escort
When someone needs help, remember ACE:
- Ask your battle buddy or Family member if he or she is thinking about harming themselves. Asking won’t increase the likelihood that they will commit suicide. You won’t place the idea in their head.
- Care for your battle buddy or Family member by listening and reassuring them that immediate help is available. Calmly talk to them and use words like “let me make sure I understand you, do you mean…” And remove any means that they might use to harm themselves.
- Escort your battle buddy or Family member to get help. This can be an emergency room, a primary care provider, or a behavioral health professional. If they refuse to go with you, do not leave them alone. Call 988 if necessary.
Suicide Prevention Battle Drills
You can help prevent suicide or suicide attempts by actively intervening when a Soldier, battle buddy or loved one expresses suicidal ideation. Be alert and engaged before they are overwhelmed by life stressors and risk factors. Suicidal ideation, or suicidal thoughts, means thinking about planning suicide. Thoughts can range from a quick consideration to a detailed plan. These tools can help you engage and prevent deaths by suicide.
Report Concerning Behavior You See on Social Media
If someone you know posts messages of suicide or self-harm on social media, you can contact the safety teams who will reach out and connect them with the help they need.
If you see a direct threat of suicide on social media, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline immediately.
Report suicidal behavior via a social media platform:
To report posts about suicidal behavior or self-harm on Instagram: Tap “…” below the post, Tap Report Inappropriate, Select This Photo Puts People at Risk > Self-Harm. Click Here for more information.
Snapchat
To report a safety concern, press and hold on that Snapchatter's name and tap the gear button. Then, tap 'Report' and reach out to Snapchat, and follow the prompts. Click Here for more information.
YouTube
To report suicide or self-harm, click “More.” Highlight and click “Report” in the drop-down menu. Click “Harmful dangerous acts,” then “Suicide or self-injury.” YouTube will review the video and may send a message to the uploader with the Lifeline number. Click Here for more information.
To report suicidal content, go to your settings, click on “Support Inbox” and the Facebook Help Center search bar will appear in the box to the right of the page or type https://www.facebook.com/help/ in the search bar on Facebook or Google. Click Here for more information.
You can report directly from an individual tweet, list or profile for certain violations, including: spam, abusive or harmful content, inappropriate ads, self-harm and impersonation. To report a violation, open the profile you’d like to report, select the overflow icon, select report and then select the type of issue you’d like to report. Click Here for more information.