Have you ever known a suicide victim?

If so, before they decided to end their life, were there any signs it may have been coming, when you think back?

I ask because I have a friend who is struggling very badly at the moment. I’ve talked to him, multiple times, and he says he would never do it because he knows there are people that love him and he could never hurt them.

The thing is, he’s going on a camping trip for five days or more, by himself. No one else could go with him, for varying reasons, but some of us are still going to try to show up this weekend, if we’re able to. I was talking to him, just a minute ago while he was driving to his destination, before his phone cut out. He was actually crying and he’s never done that in front of me before, no matter how down he’s been in the past.

I asked him to call me from a payphone when he got there, when he goes into the little town by the camping spot, because I’m really worried about him.

I just don’t want to be one of those people that has to say, “Why didn’t I see it coming?”. He’s a great guy, but… He’s severely depressed. :(

Edit: He also has a gun with him, and I’m positive he has alcohol. There was a time about a year ago that he got so drunk he couldn’t remember anything, but he’d been holding his gun, staring at it, bawling. Someone had gone to say “hi”, which is the only reason any of us (his closest friends) knew.