Now, more than ever, people are much more comfortable talking about mental health. Although mental health is now valued more than ever, it is still difficult to bring up the topic of suicide. From September 5th to 11th, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is attempting to deepen the conversation of mental health to include suicide. For the well-being of people across the nation, it is time to lean into discomfort and begin to have a conversation about coping with suicide and, more importantly, how to prevent suicide.
People don’t want to talk about suicide for a variety of reasons. For people who are afraid to ask due to the fear of “putting the idea in their head, or push them to take their lives,” limits their ability to reach out and ask questions. Moreover, people don’t know what to do when someone responds that they have been having suicidal thoughts (AFSP). While it may be hard to have conversations about suicide, the statistics surrounding suicide related deaths highlight the importance of having these difficult conversations:
“Every 12 minutes, someone in the US dies by suicide. And for every one suicide, there are 25 attempts. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in US. . . Each year, more than 900,00 emergency department visits are made by people thinking of suicide.” (Crisis Hotline)
With these statistics, it is time to have crucial conversations with loved ones, family, and friends.
Every conversation must be centered around listening when trying to help someone who may be struggling with suicide. CHN’s counselor, Veronica Cavazos offers some wisdom to those who are anxious when entering these conversations: “We may not always feel we have the right things to say, and truth is we don’t have to.” Cavazos further focuses on the idea of just listening, “What I feel is most important is being able to listen to others without judgement, being a support, being present to those who may feel alone.” And, if you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please know there is always someone to talk to. Below are crisis hotlines who are there to help those who may be considering taking their life. If you ever feel as though you’ve reached this point, please reach out to the following:
– Suicide Prevention Hotline: 800-273-8255
– Crisis Intervention Hotline: 832-416-1177
– S.T.O.P – Texas-based suicide prevention line: Text HOME to 741-741, www.stopglobal.org
– Website with more resources: https://afsp.org/suicide-prevention-resources
