 Suicide. The act of taking your own life. A horrific act, but sadly a common occurrence. Every 40 seconds someone dies from suicide. That's 1 million people per year. Maybe you've never dealt with suicide directly, maybe someone you know has attempted or committed suicide. Perhaps you have attempted suicide. Whatever your experience with suicide is, it's very important to understand the signs of suicidal behavior. But please keep in mind that not every suicidal person will show these signs. In addition, seeing a single sign does not mean that the person is suicidal. The point of this video is for you to understand these signs and work out whether the person needs a friend or professional help. Sign number one, suicidal talk. What do you think about suicide? Have you ever thought about killing yourself? How would you kill yourself? What do you think is the best way to commit suicide? Questions or phrases like this may suggest that a person is considering it. They talk about it because they want your opinion. In a way, they are asking for advice on committing suicide while not openly admitting to it. This may also be a way they are screaming for help. Sign number two, giving away prized possessions. It's an odd occurrence when someone gives away expensive items or items they may need. In their mind, where they're going, they don't need material things. Giving away material possessions to loved ones may be a way they think they are helping close friends and family after their death. Sign number three, changes to their will. There are usually a number of triggering events that cause someone to write their will. These events include marriage, having kids, older age, starting a business, or a close loved one dying. If a person seems to want to write a will out of the blue, try asking them why they have decided to write one. Sign number four, obtaining a weapon. Of course, the mere act of obtaining a weapon doesn't mean someone is suicidal, but paired with the previous signs mentioned should serve as a warning. Especially if they don't show any signs of taking up things like shooting as a sport, shooting as a hobby, or gun collecting. Sign number five, strange sleeping patterns. Though strange sleeping patterns are often seen in suicidal people, it isn't the sleeping disorder that causes this. It is actually stress or restless thoughts from personal problems that cause a person to have trouble sleeping at night. Because of that, the inability to sleep that lasts a long period of time may be a clue that someone is suffering from depression or suicidal thoughts. Sign number six, low energy. Low energy levels are often seen in people with depression, which is sometimes coupled to suicidal thoughts. These low energy levels happen as a result of lack of sleep and little motivation to do activities that will actually help them feel better. Sign number seven, abusing drugs or alcohol. A study by Bruce Alexander examined the theory of drug addiction on rats. Previous studies have concluded rats to be highly motivated for addictive drugs, despite the obvious risks like being electrocuted or deprivation of food. Alexander challenged that notion by conducting a study of his own. He would put the rats in cages where they were free to do activities and interact with other rats. In past studies, the rats were in cages alone, often with nothing to do but the addictive drug. In Alexander's study, he found the rats to rarely take the drug. The same implications can be made for humans. When humans don't feel connected to anyone, they may turn to drugs and alcohol as a form of escape. Another reason may be because they think the drug will give them enough willpower to commit suicide. Sign number eight, low motivation for social life. People who want to commit suicide often drop out of their social lives. Depressed and suicidal people often do not feel connected to others around them. As a result, they may end up dropping existing friends or family because they don't feel good enough for them. They may also see socializing as a distant, unimportant thing. Sign number nine, not participating in activities they love. Seen in depression as well, suicidal people find no interest in activities they love anymore. Nothing seems to matter and their interest is diminished. Sign number 10, self-harm. Self-harm is one of the biggest signs that someone might be suicidal. Examples of this include cutting, burning and poisoning oneself. In a sense, it's a way that suicidal people test the waters to see if they actually have what it takes to commit suicide. Former self-harmers often say that the physical pain helps them escape the emotional one. Sign number 10, risky behavior. Studies have shown that suicidal people tend to take more risks. Look out for signs such as driving recklessly or picking fights. Sign number 11, emotional outbursts. Look for unexplained emotional reactions to certain things people have said in their presence. It might make no sense to you why these words are triggering such an emotional response, but it could be words that remind them of a traumatic event in their life. Sign number 12, body language. This is a very general sign, but paired with the previous signs could be a good clue of depression and suicidal thoughts. Look for body language such as slumped shoulders, staring at the floor and unwillingness to make eye contact. Sign number 13, past suicide attempts. The number one and most obvious sign that someone might be suicidal is if they have a history of attempting it in the past. This is called suicidal tendencies. One thing people don't understand about depression is that it's not easily cured by a pill. A sudden stop of medication may trigger a worst wave of depression that will lead to another suicide attempt. Sign number 14, happiness and calmness. This sign is hard to spot because you may be under the impression that the person is becoming better. A misconception about depression is that the lowest point, you know, when they're really sad and in bed in one's life, is what causes this person to commit suicide. What actually happens at this point is that the person is unwilling to do anything. They are at such a low point, they are unwilling to eat, watch TV, or partake in their favorite activities. Their days are spent mostly in bed. Committing suicide actually takes energy and planning. So this happens just above the lowest point when they have the energy to think clearly and execute it. Just before the suicide, family members or close friends who are in contact with the victim have even reported seeing them happy and calm. This is because the suicidal person has finalized their plan and things they can finally escape the pain of this world. So those were the 14 signs someone may be suicidal. Now again, keep in mind that a single sign doesn't necessarily mean someone thinks about hurting themselves. In the comments below, I want to know what other signs you think we missed.