Suicide is a heavy topic. However, there’s been some good news in the prevention of suicide lately. Up until recently, people wanting to find assistance with their mental health faced challenges. This might be obvious in one of my previous posts in which I wrote about coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. I provided links to few different organizations working in the mental health area because at that time, there was no single resource available to point people to for help with coping with a mental health crisis. Now there is.
Earlier this month, the United States launched the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Now, by calling or texting 988, anyone experiencing a mental health emergency can speak to a trained crisis worker in their local area. The person who answers the phone can help connect whoever is calling to the appropriate assistance quickly.
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The logo of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. (988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) |
This topic is important to me because I’ve lost four friends to suicide. Clio, Vicki, Todd, and Josh were friends from high school and college. I was closer friends with some of them than with others, and a couple were people I only knew from taking classes together, not people I socialized with. However, I remember all of them fondly and was sad when I learned of their deaths. I’m sure their families and closest friends felt their losses even more keenly than I did.
I should note that the four friends I’ve listed are just the four I’m aware of who died of suicide. There certainly could be more. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the United States in 2020 (the most recent year for which data has been analyzed), one person died of suicide every 11 minutes for a total of 45,979 people who died of suicide. Additionally, 12.2 million adults thought about suicide in 2020.
These statistics are why the new 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is so important. If you ever find yourself in a mental health emergency, please call or text 988. If you ever suspect someone you love or even just know might be in a mental health emergency, please call or text 988. If you need support in dealing with the loss of a friend or loved one due to suicide, you also can call or text 988. The 988 Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.