Help Prevent Suicide Now with These 5 Simple Actions
Days are getting shorter, kids are going back to school, the sun is slanting just a little lower in the sky, and I’m brushing up on my suicide prevention skills. Did you know September is National Suicide Prevention Month? I didn’t until my teenage son attempted suicide in 2017. Since then, I have learned more than I ever wanted to know about it. But now I realize the more I know, the more help I can offer my son and others.
In the United States, approximately 129 people die by suicide each day. It is a leading cause of death in the US and the second leading cause of death for 10 to 24-year-olds(1). Yes, I just said 10-year-olds, let that sink in for a moment. Overall, suicide claims more lives in our country than traffic accidents. In 2017 more than twice the number of people died by suicide than homicide (2). But when it happens — whether to a celebrity or someone we know — we grieve and wring our hands, but can’t quite figure out what we can do to help.
But suicide is preventable. There are concrete actions you and I can take to help. For a start, we can educate ourselves and learn to separate fact from fiction. For example, despite widespread belief to the contrary, the simple acts of acknowledging and talking about suicide may reduce suicidal thoughts as opposed to encouraging them(3, 4). Both the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) have excellent resources available online. In 2017, I walked all night to raise money for AFSP and started many conversations about mental health and suicide. It felt good, like I was doing my part, but I realized in 2019, I can go farther. I realized suicide prevention begins with everyday actions by you and me.
I urge you to join me in one or all of the following actions and become an everyday hero who helps prevent suicide.
1. Educate yourself about how to recognize and help someone who may be in crisis at http://www.bethe1to.com. Then share the information on your social networks with their easy tool at http://www.bethe1to.com/join/.
2. Advocate, both locally and nationally, for public policies to help prevent suicide. AFSP has an easy program for advocacy, but you can contact elected officials on your own too.
3. Donate to AFSP, NAMI, both, or other organizations to fund suicide prevention efforts in your schools and communities. There is a great list of quality organizations here.
4. Contact your local school district and ask to see their suicide prevention plan, or educate faculty and parents about suicide prevention.
5. Stigma is a huge obstacle to treatment for people with mental health and suicidality issues. Help stop the stigma by starting a meaningful, fact-based conversation. AFSP has a conversation guide to help get you started.
There is so much we all can do. Please, you can help. What will you do to prevent suicide this month — and throughout the year? Please let me know in the comments or by DM.
If you or someone you know needs help, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1–800–273-TALK (8255)
References
1. (2019, April 10). Ten Leading Causes of Death and Injury — PDFs|Injury Center|CDC. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/LeadingCauses.html
2. (2019, April 10). Centers for Disease Control. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/injury/images/lc-charts/leading_causes_of_death_by_age_group_unintentional_2017_1100w850h.jpg
3. Gould, M. S., Marrocco, F. A., Kleinman, M., Thomas, J. G., Mostkoff, K., Cote, J., & Davies, M. (2005, April 6). Evaluating iatrogenic risk of youth suicide screening programs: a randomized controlled trial. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15811983
4. Dazzi, T., Gribble, R., Wessely, S., & Fear, N. T. (2014, December). Does asking about suicide and related behaviours induce suicidal ideation? What is the evidence? Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24998511
