What to do about self-harm and suicide concerns on X

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, you’re not alone. Use the contact info below to get help.

  • United States: Contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. Crisis workers are available 24 hours a day. Calls are free and confidential.
  • Other countries & regions: To find a crisis center near you, visit International Association for Suicide Prevention.

If you or someone you know is thinking about engaging in self-harm or suicidal behavior, you should seek help as soon as possible by contacting services with expertise in crisis intervention and suicide prevention. You can also alert the X team focused on handling reports associated with accounts that may be engaging in self-harm or suicidal behavior if you encounter this type of content on X.
 

X’s approach to content associated self-harm and suicide threats
 

After receiving a report of someone who may be thinking about self-harm or suicide, X will contact the affected individual to let them know that someone who cares about them identified that they might be at risk of harm. We will also encourage them to seek support, and provide information about dedicated online and hotline resources that can help.
 

Recognize the signs
 

Judging behavior based on online posts alone is challenging, but there are potential warning signs or indicators that someone may be thinking about  self-harm or suicide. Below are questions that you may ask yourself to help assess if an individual may be experiencing suicidal thoughts:

  • Does this person frequently post content about depression or feelings of hopelessness?

  • Is this person posting comments about death or feelings that death is the only option?

  • Are they posting comments about having attempted suicide in the past?

  • Are they describing or posting photos of self-harm or identifying themselves as suicidal?

  • Has their mood and the content of their posts changed recently?
     

If you are concerned and know the person involved, it can be helpful to contact them personally  and encourage them to seek advice from dedicated services who may be able to help. If, on the other hand, you don’t know the person involved, you may still choose to contact them to express concern or refer them to dedicated organizations , a suicide hotline, or someone who might know them personally. If you don’t feel comfortable reaching out to the person on your own or aren’t sure how to reach them, you can also alert X via our dedicated reporting flow.
 

Managing experiences with self-harm or suicidal thoughts
 

If you are thinking about engaging in self-harm or suicidal behavior, or are experiencing feelings of depression or anxiety, it may help to talk to people that you trust or to connect with dedicated organizations who can provide support and assistance to help manage these experiences.

Depression has a wide variety of symptoms and affects millions of people every year. Common symptoms include sadness, loss of interest in activities, changes in appetite and sleep patterns, loss of energy, difficulty thinking, and possibly thoughts of suicide. You might exhibit these types of behaviors, or they might be subtler. Either way, don’t ignore them.

 

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