September is suicide prevention month, but just because the month is almost over doesn’t mean the awareness should be.
According to the CDC, every day 105 Americans commit suicide, making it the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S and the second leading cause of death among ages 15 to 24.
If it’s such a common occurrence, why do so many people feel so alone and helpless? There is such a negative stigma on people who are dealing with depression and thoughts leading to suicide that nobody feels okay talking about it. This causes those struggling to feel alone, which just worsens their feelings. If people came to realize how common it truly was, they would realize that this isn’t an issue that we should just sweep under the rug hoping it goes away.
The lack of conversation about this issue also brings with it a lack of knowledge about resources. Many people may believe that the only thing available to help cope with problematic thinking is counseling. However, there are a variety of other resources that are available immediately to help those in need at their convenience.
One of the resources available is the suicide hotline. This is a free service available at 1800-273-TALK (8255). Available 24 hours a day, this number will connect the caller to a counselor in a local center that is trained to help. They will listen to your problems and talk you through how to go about solving them. The call remains confidential so you don’t need to be concerned that anyone will find out that you called them. To find out more information on the hotline, visit http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org. The website even contains advice on how to help someone else going through tough times if you’re ever presented with a situation where someone turns to you.
If you’d prefer not to speak to someone through a phone call, there is a second resource available. Holding of Wrist is an organization that, through email, provides a place for anyone battling bad thoughts and feelings to talk through their problems when they feel they have nobody else to turn through. While their team is unable to diagnose or ultimately cure mental illnesses, they recognize that oftentimes, people feel alone. Realizing this, they strive to create a feeling that the person is not alone, and someone does in fact care that they are struggling. Their motto is “we strive to show love and seek treatment. There is hope for those who see it.” Even though this is not a professional counseling resource, and they aren’t 24 hours, they are still a beneficial resource that is willing to help. On their website, they also have a variety of other resources, including tips on self-harm alternatives. For more information on this growing organization, visit holdingofwrist.org.
Even though nobody wants to talk about suicide, it needs to be talked about. It is too common of an issue to ignore. People are often too quick to shy away from talking about it because they feel uncomfortable talking about it. However, if it never gets talked about nothing is ever going to get better. This is why programs have been slowly popping up in order to spread awareness and get people talking about it and how to prevent it. On September 10th, World Suicide Prevention Day, there is a suicide prevention walk in order to raise money to go toward furthering prevention program. There are also various other activities to promote the fact that suicide is something bigger than most people believe it to be.
We all need to come together and realize how problematic suicide is. If we all worked together to create a more positive environment, people would feel more comfortable talking about their feelings and be more willing to seek help. We can do this by becoming actively aware of the warning signs, as shown on the hotline’s website, and offering help to those demonstrating those signs. Being there for each other and helping spread messages of hope can go a long way.
