September is Suicide Prevention Month. Research shows that the majority of those who attempt suicide give some warning signs – verbal, written or behavioral. These warning signs are often sent during the weeks preceding an attempt.
Suicide is the most complex and difficult to understand of all human behavior. Yet, suicidal people are just like you and me. They have problems; we have problems. The difference is that, for the moment, we feel we can handle our problems rather than feeling overwhelmed by them.
What can we do to prevent youth suicide?
If I am a teen, I can . . .
- Encourage my friends that getting help for life’s ups and downs is the ok thing to do.
- Share stories about times getting help has worked.
- Break the stigma by encouraging discussion of mental wellness.
If I am a parent I can . . .
- Be willing to listen without judgement.
- Be the one to help your child seek mental and physical health care when needed.
- Store my firearms and prescription/over the counter medications safely at home to reduce the likelihood they will be used in a suicide crisis.
If I am a community member I can . . .
- Be willing to listen without judgement.
- Make resources for safe storage or disposal of means for suicide available (trigger locks, prescription take back initiatives).
- Practice good self-care: share coping mechanisms with those around you, tell stories of seeking help and gaining recovery.
If I am a school employee I can . . .
- Be willing to listen without judgement.
- Promote the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) in consistent ways throughout the school year such as printing the number on student ID cards.
- Social emotional learning initiatives that focus on building social skills especially problem-solving skills are effective upstream efforts to reduce suicide and other risky behaviors in students.
By: Brenda Langdon
