Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
by Eman Khalid
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
If someone listens, or stretches out a hand, or whispers a word of encouragement, or attempts to understand a lonely person, extraordinary things begin to happen. — Loretta Girzartis
During the month of September, organizations and mental health centers raise awareness on suicide prevention and advocate for better mental health care amongst communities globally by providing them with the resources they might need to help fight suicidal thoughts.
Despite living in the 21st century, in an ever-evolving society, the topic of Suicide is often stigmatized or considered to be a taboo topic. Therefore, it is necessary to use this month as a tool to spread hope, shift the public’s perception, and share helpful resources to individuals affected by suicidal thoughts or to those who have been debilitated with depression.
Why Is It Important To Talk about Suicide?
According to a 2019 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
● Suicide was the tenth leading cause of death in the United States, consuming the lives of over 47,500 people.
● Suicide was the 2nd leading cause of death in individuals between the age of 10 and 34
● In 2019, there were an estimated 1.38M suicide attempts
● On average, there are 130 suicides per day
Based on the Youth Risk Behaviors Survey from 2019, 8.9% of the individuals between grades 9th - 12th reported to have attempted suicide at least once in the past 12 months from the initial survey date. The same survey revealed that female students attempted suicide almost twice as often as male students.
According to America’s health ranking, males have a suicide rate 3.7 times higher as compared with females. Whereas older adults are likelier to commit suicide than adolescents or young adults. Those residing in rural areas are also likelier to commit suicide than those residing in urban areas. Individuals identifying as the LGBTQ were at a higher risk of committing suicide or engaging in dangerous self-harm behavior than heterosexual individuals.
What Leads to Suicide?
Why would someone want to end their life? Because they don’t see a future for themselves, and they’ve lost all hopes for a better tomorrow. There is no one cause of suicide. Many traumatic incidents in someone’s life might lead him/her/they to take the drastic decision of taking his/her/their own life. Bullying at workplace or school might initiate feelings of suicide in an individual. Lack of community or family support for LGBTQ individuals might push them to engage in suicidal behaviors or actions.
A traumatic incident such as the death of a loved one, or a breakup might also initiate feelings of suicide or hopelessness in a person. Certain mental health conditions such as depression, substance addiction, anxiety, or bipolar disorder are one of the leading triggers of suicidal thoughts in a human being. However, it is crucial to know that those who seek professional help and follow proper health measures to maintain positive mental health can recover from their recurring suicidal thoughts and lead a healthier lifestyle.
How To Recognize the Signs of a Suicidal Person?
To recognize the signs of a suicidal person, it is important to recognize certain behavioral patterns or habits to help those who are suffering in silence. The signs of a suicidal person are:
● Severe & long-lasting sadness or Moodiness
● Unexpected rage, or mood swings
● Changes in appearance or personality
● Talking about dying or wanting to die
● Isolation and social withdrawal
● Self-harm behavior
How To Seek Help?
You are not alone. There are organizations, and platforms working towards helping people to shift their mindset and transform their lives so they can live as mentally and emotionally healthy human beings in this ever-changing society. Some of those organizations are:
1. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
2. the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
3. Trevor Project
4. The JED Foundation
5. Project Sanctuary
6. Mental Health America
7. Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (National Office)
8. American Psychiatric Association Foundation
9. Treatment Advocacy Center
10. Brain & Behavior Research Foundation
11. American Foundation of Suicidology
12. The Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program
13. Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide
14. The Suicide Prevention Resource Center
15. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
16. Befrienders Worldwide
There are also certain hotlines you can contact if you or your loved one is battling with suicidal thoughts.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
● https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org
● 📞 800-273-TALK (8255)
● 📞 TTY: 800-799-4TTY (4889)
Asian American Suicide Prevention and Education
● 📞 877-990-8585 (Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, and Fujianese)
Boys Town Suicide and Crisis Line (for teens/parents/families)
● http://www.boystown.org/national-hotline
● 📞 800-448-3000
● Text, Chat Email: http://www.yourlifeyourvoice.org/Pages/ways-to-get-help.aspx
Lifeline Crisis Chat
● 1:1 Online Chat: http://www.crisischat.org/chat (12:00 pm - 12:00 am EST)
Crisis Text Line
● https://www.crisistextline.org/how-it-works
● Text 741741
● Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crisistextline
Kristin Brooks Hope Center
● 📞 1.800.SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433)
● IMAlive Crisis Chat
Vet2Vet Veterans Crisis Hotline
● http://www.yourlifecounts.org/crisis-line/vet2vet-veteran%E2%80%99s-crisis-line
● 📞 1-877-VET-2-VET (838-2838)
In this list, we’ve provided contacts for suicide hotlines in the USA. If you want to find a list of suicide hotlines in your respective country or state, please visit: https://www.stompoutbullying.org/international-suicide-prevention-resource
Update - 10/18/21:
Did you know that October is bullying prevention month? 25% of middle school students at public schools report being bullied at least once a week. Most of the injuries and damage done to minors can be prevented. Check out more info from the partners at NST Law below:
Bullying Prevention Guide - nstlaw.com/child-safety/bullying-prevention/