History Main / PreludeToSuicide

Not every character who has been DrivenToSuicide does it on an impulse. Often it's a premeditated decision and oftentimes they start behaving differently prior to the suicide attempt. Researching and talking about suicide and / or death a lot is a pretty obvious-seeming sign, though other signs may be more subtle. They might go around talking to loved ones or they might start giving away their belongings, as a way of telling them goodbye. Alternatively, suicidal people may withdraw from others physically and emotionally. Giving a DespairSpeech or simply alluding to a loss of hope is common. [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness Abrupt personality changes]] are also frequently present; for example, they might be either unusually somber or, after a period of depression, might be unusually energetic and content. Engaging in risky behavior such as dangerous driving, taking drugs, drinking to excess, unsafe sex and so forth can be a sign too. Another physical sign is [[SeriouslyScruffy no longer taking care of one's appearance]], such as not bathing / showering, not washing their hair, unkempt clothing and so on (especially if they usually take pride in their appearance). Writing or recording a [[GoodbyeCruelWorld suicide note]] is often one of the last steps, though not with all cases.

* [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence Days of Flight]] in ''Anime/HaibaneRenmei'' are [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything treated]] similarly to someone suddenly dying or someone committing suicide. [[spoiler:Reki]] almost ''failing'' to achieve her Day of Flight in the final episode is treated especially so. She says her "goodbyes" to everyone, detaches herself from her friends and packs up all her belongings. There's also the scene, right before she [[spoiler:asks [[YouAreNotAlone asks Rakka for help]]]], where [[spoiler:a younger version of herself stands in front of imaginary {{railroad tracks|OfDoom}}]]. The series ends with her realizing that YouAreNotAlone, which allows her to [[spoiler:break out of her Circle of Sin]] and take her Day of Flight.

* In the ''Animal Crossing'' DarkFic one-shot ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/1754917 Destroy Me, Please]]'', the unnamed protagonist sells their belongings, sends their more valuable family belongings to their parents, and sells their home because they're "moving away". Their ever vigilant secretary Isabelle notices the signs and doesn't completely believe them when they say they aren't suicidal. Isabelle later [[spoiler:visits the protagonist and [[InterruptedSuicide interrupts their suicide attempt]].]]
* ''Fanfic/PokemonLightAU'': Gloria's already voltaile personality took a turn for the worst a few months before her suicide. She began isolating herself and pushing her loved ones away. Her last few voicemails to Hop, however, were soft and heartbroken.

* ''Literature/TheBelgariad'': In the prequel novel ''Belgarath the Sorcerer'', Belsambar falls into despondency in the years after the Cracking of the World and the wartime atrocities he'd witnessed. One evening, he talks to Belgarath about his lack of hope for the future, wishes Belgarath "good bye" instead of "goodnight", goes home, and wills himself out of existence later that night.

* During the exile-arc of the ''LetsPlay/DreamSMP'', Tommy starts talking to himself and later to Dream about how he doesn't think he has much time left, engages in openly dangerous behavior and occasional SelfHarm, and makes an effort to do things he'd always wanted to do like writing How To Sex 3 and hanging out with Drista again. [[spoiler:He attempts suicide after Dream destroys Logstedshire, [[InterruptedSuicide but winds up running away instead]] after realizing Dream was never his friend.]]

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* The story of [[ArtifactOfDoom the Bloodbath Abnormality]] in ''VideoGame/LobotomyCorporation'' includes a vivid description of the friend/partner of the person DrivenToSuicide regretting they never noticed her increasing suicidal tendencies. [[spoiler: It originates from [[PlayerCharacter Ayin's]] trauma of finding out Carmen slit her wrists in a bathtub.]]

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* In ''ComicBook/TheOrder'', Becky Ryan was initially kept off the team because her background check revealed a string of self-destructive behaviors, including drug abuse and eating disorders, but she ended up making the cut after half of the initial team were kicked out for public drinking. After she pulls a very public attempt at a HeroicSacrifice on her first mission, Henry pulls her aside and asks her point-blank if she was trying to kill herself.

* Played with in an issue of ''ComicBook/RainbowRowellsRunaways'' that sees Victor suffering from constant, worsening flashbacks to [[ComicBook/TheVision2015 the time he killed his nephew]]. At the end of the issue, he's seen drawing a bath and tearing his own head off of its makeshift body and throwing it into the tub, which would seem like a suicide attempt, given that he's a cyborg. The next issue reveals that he was actually regenerating his original body.

* After being [[PeggySue sent back in time]], Gloria bemoan in ''Fanfic/{{Anachronism}}'' that she missed the, now obvious, signs that Sonia was depressed. Sonia's frequent HeroicSelfDeprecation isn't as digestible after learning what happens to her.

Not every character who has been DrivenToSuicide does it on an impulse. Often it's a premeditated decision and oftentimes they start behaving differently prior to the suicide attempt. Researching and talking about suicide and / or death a lot is a pretty obvious-seeming sign, though other signs may be more subtle. They might go around talking to loved ones or they might start giving away their belongings, as a way of telling them goodbye. Alternatively, suicidal people may withdraw from others physically and emotionally. [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness Abrupt personality changes]] are also frequently present; for example, they might be either unusually somber or, after a period of depression, might be unusually energetic and content. Engaging in risky behavior such as dangerous driving, taking drugs, drinking to excess, unsafe sex and so forth can be a sign too. Another physical sign is [[SeriouslyScruffy no longer taking care of one's appearance]], such as not bathing / showering, not washing their hair, unkempt clothing and so on (especially if they usually take pride in their appearance). Writing or recording a [[GoodbyeCruelWorld suicide note]] is often one of the last steps, though not with all cases.

Not every character who has been DrivenToSuicide does it on an impulse. Often it's a premeditated decision and oftentimes they start behaving differently prior to the suicide attempt. They might go around talking to loved ones or they might start giving away their belongings. [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness Abrupt personality changes]] are also frequently present. For example, they might be either unusually somber or, after a period of depression, might be unusually energetic and content.

The final step is usually a [[GoodbyeCruelWorld suicide note]], but it's not always.

SecretlyDying characters also sometimes display the same characteristics as suicidal characters. If a character behaves this way and isn't suicidal, then they're often MistakenForSuicidal. If other characters notice this behavior, they might put the character on SuicideWatch.

* The story of [[ArtifactOfDoom the Bloodbath Abnormality]] in ''VideoGame/LobotomyCorporation'' includes a vivid description of the friend/partner of the person DrivenToSuicide regretting they never noticed her increasing suicidal tendencies. [[spoiler: It originates from [{PlayerCharacter Ayin's]] trauma of finding out Carmen slit her wrists in a bathtub.]]

* In 2018, Website/{{Facebook}} created an algorithm that detects possible suicide notes from the social network in messages that contain words like "kill", "die" and "goodbye", making tender messages for the user, as well make a call to his/her friends. More information about this can be found [[https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2018/09/inside-feed-suicide-prevention-and-ai/ here]] and [[https://www.facebook.com/safety/wellbeing/suicideprevention here]].

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-->--'''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/1754917 Destroy Me, Please]]'''

* The fourth season premiere of ''Series/OrphanBlack'' is a WholeEpisodeFlashback to the events that led up to Beth's suicide. [[spoiler: Played with when it's revealed that Beth had no genuine desire to kill herself; she was blackmailed into it by Evie Cho. All lot of her outwardly strange behavior was due to her involvement in the clone conspiracy. After her death everyone misinterpreted her words and actions, assuming they were signs of suicidality when they actually weren't]].

* The fourth season premiere of ''Series/OrphanBlack'' is a WholeEpisodeFlashback to the events that led up to Beth's suicide. [[spoiler: Played with when it's revealed that Beth had no genuine desire to kill herself; she was blackmailed into it by Evie Cho. All lot of her outwardly strange behavior was due to her involvement in the clone conspiracy. After her death everyone misinterpreted her words and actions, assuming they were signs of suicidality when they actually weren']].

There is TruthInTelevision in this trope. A common suicide prevention tip is to look for several signs that someone might attempt. A little public service announcement that we at Wiki/TVTropes would be very remiss not to make here: If you're feeling suicidal, '''''please'' [[UsefulNotes/SuicidePrevention get help immediately]]'''. Talk to a loved one at the very least and let them know how you're feeling. [[YouAreNotAlone There]] ''[[YouAreNotAlone is]]'' [[YouAreNotAlone help out there]], no matter what you might believe.

There is TruthInTelevision in this trope. A common suicide prevention tip is to look for several signs that someone might attempt. A little public service announcement that we at Wiki/TVTropes would be very remiss not to make here: If you're feeling suicidal, ''please'' [[UsefulNotes/SuicidePrevention get help immediately]]. Talk to a loved one at the very least and let them know how you're feeling. [[YouAreNotAlone There]] ''[[YouAreNotAlone is]]'' [[YouAreNotAlone help out there]], no matter what you might believe.

* In 2018, Website/{{Facebook}} created an algorithm that detects possible suicide notes from the social network in messages that contain words like "kill", "die" and "goodbye", making tender messages for the user, as well make a call to his/her friends. More information about this can be found [[https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2018/09/inside-feed-suicide-prevention-and-ai/ here]] and [[https://www.facebook.com/safety/wellbeing/suicideprevention here]].

* [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence Days of Flight]] in ''Anime/HaibaneRenmei'' are [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything treated]] similarly to someone suddenly dying or someone committing suicide. [[spoiler:Reki]] almost ''failing'' to achieve her Day of Flight in the final episode is treated especially so. She says her "goodbyes" to everyone, detaches herself from her friends, and packs up all her belongings. There's also the scene, right before she [[spoiler:asks [[YouAreNotAlone asks Rakka for help]]]], where [[spoiler:a younger version of herself stands in front of imaginary {{railroad tracks|OfDoom}}]]. The series ends with her realizing that YouAreNotAlone, which allows her to [[spoiler:break out of her Circle of Sin]] and take her Day of Flight.

* In ''Fanfic/RWBYScars'', [[spoiler:Weiss]] has spent the last several weeks more-or-less isolated in her room. She rarely gets dressed and barely eats. Right before her suicide attempt she decides to talk to her mother, brother, and favorite butler. This unusual behavior actually saves [[spoiler:Weiss']] life. Her [[ParentalNeglect normally distant]] mother decides to check up on her for once and finds her bleeding out on her bedroom floor. [[spoiler:Willow's]] quick thinking leads to an InterruptedSuicide, which eventually leads into a HappilyFailedSuicide.

* In the ''Animal Crossing'' DarkFic oneshot ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/1754917 Destroy Me, Please]]'', the unnamed protagonist sells their belongings, sends their more valuable family belongings to their parents, and sells their home because they're "moving away". Their ever vigilant secretary Isabelle notices the signs and doesn't completely believe them when they say they aren't suicidal. Isabelle later [[spoiler:visits the protagonist and [[InterruptedSuicide interrupts their suicide attempt]].]]

* In ''Series/CrazyExGirlfriend'' season 3, Rebecca becomes extremely depressed after reacting badly to [[spoiler:Josh leaving her at the altar]] and spends a few weeks lazing around at her mother's house, doing very little except constantly looking at something on her laptop. Eventually her mom becomes curious and peeks, finding her on a page titled 'least painful ways to die.' Though she is usually very thoughtless when it comes to Rebecca's feelings, this shocks her into genuine concern for her.
* In the series finale for ''Series/FatherTed'' "Going To America", after the Ted's immigration to America is called off, Dougal celebrates that they'll be staying together in Craggy Island forever and ever, with Ted responding with a mortified ThousandYardStare. In the original edit this would have culminated in a BrickJoke with Ted joining the suicidal priest earlier in the episode on a window ledge. However the writers' dislike for the BlackComedy ending (possibly combined with Ted's actor Dermot Morgan passing away after filming the episode) led to it being revised into a more upbeat montage sequence with Ted and Dougal heard jovially saying goodnight to each other as a close out.
* ''Series/BattlestarGalactica2003'': As the fleet hits an all-time low, [[spoiler:Dualla]], who'd been struggling to keep it together for awhile now, seems to be actually getting better. She smiles more, is pleasant and even upbeat around her comrades, and even rekindles her relationship with [[spoiler:Apollo]], stating she just wants to forget about all the horrible things that have happened and have one, perfect day. After their date, she shoot herself in the head. A sudden change from depression to contentment and wanting "one perfect day" can be a fairly clear sign that the person in question intends it to be their ''last'' day.

* ''VisualNovel/DokiDokiLiteratureClub'': After spending several in-game days being rather cheerful and ditzy, Sayori suddenly starts acting strangely and even leaves the club early one day. The player then learns she has depression and promises to help her, only for her to not show up to the Club Festival, leaving only a note that demands for someone to "get out of her head" [[MadnessMantra repeatedly]]. When the player checks on her, they find her hanging.

* In 2018, Website/{{Facebook}} created an algorithm that detect possible suicide notes from the social network in messages that contain words like "kill", "die" and "goodbye", making tender messages for the user, as well make a call to his/her friends. More information about this can be found [[https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2018/09/inside-feed-suicide-prevention-and-ai/ here]] and [[https://www.facebook.com/safety/wellbeing/suicideprevention here]].

* In the ''Animal Crossing'' DarkFic oneshot ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/1754917 Destroy Me, Please]]'', the unnamed protagonist sells or puts away all their belongings and sells their home because they're "moving away". Their ever vigilant secretary Isabelle notices the signs and doesn't completely believe them when they say they aren't suicidal. Isabelle later [[spoiler:visits the protagonist and [[InterruptedSuicide interrupts their suicide attempt]].]]

* ''Film/IronMan2'': Tony Stark begins to subtly go through the warning signs of suicide, he engages in risky behavior (untrained participation as a race car driver and getting drunk while operating heavy machinery -- his suit), he's gregarious in front of the camera, but having trouble speaking to his friends, and he starts giving away personal possessions (donating his entire modern art collection to a Scouting program, giving his company to Pepper, and allowing Rhodes to take an earlier model suit in a destructive combat in his own home). He's not actually suicidal; his medical equipment which he depends on for survival is also killing him, causing the same death-seeking and "last will" behaviors common to people with suicidal thoughts. The first one to notice in the movie is Nick Fury, and they talk about it in a remote diner.

* One issue of ''ComicBook/TheIntimates'' focuses on Dead Kid Fred, a ComicBook/{{Robin}} expy who is stuck as a zombie as a result of ComicBookDeath. Throughout the issue, he shows signs of being suicidal, but everyone ignores him until he tries to burn himself to death.

* ''Film/IronMan2'': Tony Stark begins to subtly go through the warning signs of suicide, he engages in risky behaviour (untrained participation as a race car driver and getting drunk while operating heavy machinery-- his suit), he's gregarious in front of the camera, but having trouble speaking to his friends, and he starts giving away personal possessions (donating his entire modern art collection to a Scouting program, giving his company to Pepper, and allowing Rhodes to take an earlier model suit in a destructive combat in his own home). He's not actually suicidal; his medical equipment which he depends on for survival is also killing him, causing the same death-seeking and "last will" behaviours common to people with suicidal thoughts. The first one to notice in the movie is Nick Fury, and they talk about it in a remote diner.

* [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence Days of Flight]] in ''Anime/HaibaneRenmei'' are [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything treated]] similarly to someone suddenly dying or someone committing suicide. [[spoiler:Reki]] almost ''failing'' to achieve her Day of Flight in the final episode is treated especially so. She says her "goodbyes" to everyone, detaches herself from her friends, and packs up all her belongings. There's also the scene where [[spoiler:a younger version of herself stands standing in front of imaginary {{railroad tracks|OfDoom}} right before she asks Rakka for help]]. The series ends with her realizing that YouAreNotAlone, which allows her to [[spoiler:break out of her Circle of Sin]] and take her Day of Flight.