I'm glad you've been following along on this series promoting suicide prevention and awareness. While September's National Suicide Prevention Awareness campaign is coming to a close, there are ways you can be involved all year round to help increase suicide prevention and awareness! See below for some resources and ways you can help all year long: 1. Bringing Suicide Prevention to schools - check out these programs listed by American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP): https://afsp.org/bring-suicide-prevention-to-your-school   2. Consider taking part in an Out of Darkness Walk OR you can even be part of a planning committee in your town:  https://afsp.donordrive.com/index.cfm?eventGroupID=9AA117B3-F522-BB6D-359D1AA2D75A7958&fuseaction=cms.page&id=1196   3. Consider making donations to community resources that support suicide prevention and awareness.  4. Consider bringing suicide prevention and awareness into your community - churches, youth groups, col...

Hey there, thanks for continuing on this journey to learn more about suicide prevention and awareness. Now that you've learned more about the myths/facts, warning signs, and risk factors for suicide, you may be wondering "How do I talk about suicide and what do I say if someone tells me they're thinking of suicide?" You don't have to say anything perfectly. You need to: Ask about suicide and listen to the person, validate their feelings as they share them, and help connect the person to a mental health professional. Ask and Listen : If you notice any of the warning signs and/or risk factors from Part 1, ask the person directly about suicide. “It sounds like things are painful and lonely right now. I’ve noticed you haven’t been reaching out much, you don’t seem yourself, and I’m worried you’re struggling alone. When things get bad, people can think about escaping. Are you thinking of suicide?” Ask the question and be willing to listen to their answer. If someone op...

The majority of teens and adults will say that suicide impacted them personally; whether through a personal lived experience, personal loss, or a loved one struggling with thoughts of suicide oe suicide attempts. Suicide is the 10 th   leading cause of death in the United States, and at an average of 132 suicides occur each day. You may be surprised to learn this statistic, but as you’re reading this, you may we wondering why we aren’t talking more about it. This is what makes September such an important month. September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness month. An entire month dedicated to suicide awareness and prevention to start the conversation, raise awareness, and talk about what you can do to help. This article will cover suicide facts and myths, risk factors, and warning signs.   Let’s start with some common facts and myths about suicide:   -         MYTH :  Talking about suicide will make someone suicidal or give them...