NEED IMMEDIATE HELP?

Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988.
Chat: 988lifeline.org
Veterans Crisis Line 988 and then dial 1
Brien Center Crisis Line: 1-800-252-0227

Warning Signs

The causes of suicide are complex and determined by multiple combinations of factors, such as mental illness, substance misuse, painful losses, exposure to violence, and social isolation.

Suicide Warning Signs for Adults:

Risk is greater if a behavior is new or has increased, and if it seems related to a painful event, loss, or change.

• Talking about or making plans for suicide.

• Acting anxious or agitated; behaving recklessly.

• Talking about being a burden to others.

• Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain.

• Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs.

• Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live

• Sleeping too little or too much.

• Withdrawing or feeling isolated.

• Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge.

• Displaying extreme mood swings.

Suicide Warning Signs for Youth

It's time to take action if you notice these signs in family or friends:

• Talking about or making plans for suicide.

• Expressing hopelessness about the future.

• Displaying severe/overwhelming emotional pain or distress.

• Showing worrisome changes in behavior, particularly in combination with the warning signs above, including significant:

• Withdrawal from or changing social connections/situations.

• Changes in sleep (increased or decreased).

• Anger or hostility that seems out of character or out of context.

• Recent increased agitation or irritability.

• About the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

  The988 suicide and crisis lifeline is a free, confidential 24/7 phone line that connects individuals in crisis with trained counselors across the United States. There are also specialized lines for both Veterans and the LGBTQIA+ population.

  You don’t have to be suicidal or in crisis to call the Lifeline. People call to talk about coping with lots of things: substance use, economic worries, relationships, sexual identity, illness, abuse, mental and physical illness, and loneliness. Here’s more about the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline:

  • You are not alone in reaching out. In 2021, the Lifeline received 3.6 million calls, chats, and texts.

  • The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a network of more than 200 state and local call centers supported by HHS through SAMHSA.

  • Calls to the Lifeline are routed to the nearest crisis center for connections to local resources for help.

  • Responders are trained counselors who have successfully helped to prevent suicide ideation and attempts among callers.

Our Mission

Our mission is to save lives.  

Together we can build resilience in our community, educate the public, and strengthen the response to community need.

Coalition Launches Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors
(LOSS) Team in Berkshire County

Berkshire Coalition for Suicide Prevention board members attended training by Dr. Frank Campbell for the newly launched Berkshire County LOSS (Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors) Team. LOSS teams are made up of trained volunteers, many who are suicide loss survivors. These volunteers go to the scene of a suicide to provide support, information about available resources, and hope to the newly bereaved. Dr. Campbell launched the first LOSS team in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1998 after twenty years working with people who had lost a loved one to suicide. Based on Dr. Campbell’s Active Postvention Model (APM), the goal of the LOSS model is to make sure survivors do not wait years to get the help they need to cope with this devastating and traumatic loss. Without postvention, the average length of time that survivors of suicide loss take to reach out for help is 4.5 years; research shows that people bereaved by a suicide loss are at increased risk for dying by suicide themselves. The Berkshire County LOSS team will work in conjunction with the Berkshire County District Attorney’s Office.