September is Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month

September is Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month. This month is used to spread hope and information to people impacted by suicide.

No one is immune to depression, PTSD, substance use disorder, illness, job loss, or any of the factors that can lead to someone to considering suicide.

To help end this epidemic, mental health officials say people must put aside preconceived assumptions and biases about suicide and the people who may be at risk.

The goal of suicide prevention and awareness month is to ensure that individuals have access to the resources needed to discuss suicide prevention and to seek help. Gulfport Behavioral Health CEO Loyal Ownes said, “The best way to begin to acknowledge it is to have a conversation. If you begin to see behaviors different in those individuals around you, be there. Be available to them. Start the conversation with them and don’t be afraid to ask if they are okay. I think there are still a lot of people out there who believe in the myth that we can somehow convince people that they’re suicidal. There is zero information. There are zero studies that support that. The reality is that most studies support that having a conversation prevents suicide because it begins to normalize the thoughts of the individual.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing an emotional crisis or thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.