Intentional shifts in the words we use can de-stigmatize suicide and improve collective understanding. By reducing the stigma around thoughts of wanting to die or wishes of non-existence, which can be part of the human experience, we make it easier for people to reach out for help when they need it. There are many opportunities to shift our language in conversations with friends and family, in writing, and in professional settings. The following table offers alternatives to stigmatizing language, based on recommendations from Now Matters Now.
| Best Practice Language |
Language to Avoid |
Died by suicide
Took his/her/their own life
Killed him/her/them self
Suicide death |
Committed suicide (Implies a crime or wrongdoing)
Chose to kill him/her/them self (Implies a rational choice when it might have been crisis-driven)
Successful or completed suicide (Implies the death was a positive outcome or an achievement)
Suicided (Sounds dehumanizing, implies judgment) |
| Suicide attempt |
Failed or unsuccessful suicide attempt (Implies failure or lack of success when surviving a suicide attempt) |
| Disclosed suicidal thoughts or intent |
Threatened suicide (Implies violence rather than help-seeking) |
Describe behavior in neutral terms
(What does the behavior look like?) |
Manipulative or attention-seeking behavior
Suicidal gesture (Implies judgment about or blame for the behavior) |
| Lethal means safety |
Lethal means restriction (disempowers people, implies coercion) |
Has bipolar disorder
(Or other mental health condition) |
Is bipolar (Implies the person is defined by their diagnosis) |
| Working with or supporting a suicidal patient |
Dealing with a suicidal patient (Implies the person is a burden) |
| Use straightforward terms to describe trends, e.g., “increasing” or “rising” |
Strong terms with shock value, such as “skyrocketing” or “epidemic” (Can decrease public will to address an issue) |
Limit descriptions of suicide events and provide suicide prevention resources in communications
(Does not apply to official death investigations) |
Quoting from a suicide note (Can contribute to contagion)
Detailed descriptions of the location or method of death, memorials or funerals, or the grief of family and friends (Can contribute to contagion) |