National Suicide Prevention Month

National Suicide Prevention Month

September marks the beginning of National Suicide Prevention Month. This is a designated time each year to inform and educate the public and health professionals alike on suicide. This time of year is also a time to reflect, mourn, and pay our respects to those who have died by suicide and their friends and families. It can be a hard time for many of us, and we are here to support each other through it. 

In addition to the entire month, National Suicide Prevention Week is September 6th-12th, and falls on the week surrounding Worldwide Suicide Prevention Day which is September 10th. 

Here are some things we can all do during this month: 

  1. Check in on friends and family. You never know what someone else is going through but checking in with them can make a world of a difference. Building those support systems can be a protective factor in preventing suicide and improving mental health (Stone et al., 2017). 

  2. Practice self-care. Self-care refers to activities taken to care for one’s own mental, emotional, and physical health. It is natural and common to experience stress, but don’t ignore it. It is important to take time to focus on yourself and cope with those stressors now, rather than letting it build up inside (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019). Some examples of self-care include move your body, practice mindfulness, make sure you’re getting enough sleep, start journaling about how you’re feeling, do a face mask or skin care, and take a break to watch your favorite movie or tv show. This list is obviously not exhaustive and there are so many ways you can practice self-care.

  3. Educate yourself on suicide prevention, and how these issues impact the LGBTQ+ community. There are so many great resources out there, but to start we suggest the Talking About Suicide and LGBT Populations report. This was written by a number of groups including the Trevor Project, GLAAD, and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. It will give you a brief overview of these issues. Secondly, there is the LGBTQ+ Glossary written by Shayla here at Sean's Legacy. It details important terminology when discussing these topics.

  4. Learn the warning signs of suicide. This can include talking about wanting to kill oneself, talking about feeling hopeless or having no purpose, talking about being a burden to others, change in sleeping habits, withdrawing or feeling isolated, and displaying extreme mood swings, among other changes. For a more exhaustive list of signs, as well as protective factors and risk factors, check out the Suicide Awareness Voices of Education. Additionally, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention details other risk factors to understand and be aware of.

  5. Understand the importance of language when it comes to discussing these topics. This report from Reporting on Suicide details the do’s and don’ts of talking about suicide in the news. Above all the most important thing is to avoid misinformation and to be respectful to the person who has died and their loved ones.

If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide or in need of immediate help, please reach out for help. 

  • You can call the TrevorLifeline at 1-866-488-7386 or text START to 678-678 to talk to a Trevor counselor today. 

  • This search tool from It Gets Better lists over 1,100 organizations that can provide support based on specific group identifiers. 

  • If you’re in search of a therapist or psychiatrist who is LGBTQ+ friendly, you can use Psychology Today and refine your search to include that as a qualification. 

Sources:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). Taking care of your emotional health. Retrieved from https://emergency.cdc.gov/coping/selfcare.asp 

Stone, D.M., Holland, K.M., Bartholow, B., Crosby, A.E., Davis, S., and Wilkins, N. (2017). Preventing Suicide: A Technical Package of Policies, Programs, and Practices. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/suicideTechnicalPackage.pdf 

Lucy Dollinger Suicide Prevention, National Suicide Prevention Month, September, Suicide, Prevention