Suicide Awareness Month
September is Suicide Awareness Month. According to NCHS, suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death in adolescents 15 – 19 years old and the suicide rate among adolescents was 33% higher than in 2017 than in 1999. Now, with the isolation created by virtual school and social distancing in response to COVID-19, we need to be more aware than ever of the signs of suicide.
According to the Suicide Prevention Hotline, there are many ways to help a loved one you might suspect is thinking about suicide:
- Take them seriously
- Listen with empathy and provide support
- Don’t keep suicide a secret
- Know the warning signs:
- Talking about wanting to die or to kill themselves
- Looking for a way to kill themselves, like searching online or buying a gun
- Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live
- Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain
- Talking about being a burden to others
- Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs
- Acting anxious or agitated; behaving recklessly
- Sleeping too little or too much
- Withdrawing or isolating themselves
- Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge
- Extreme mood swing
Additionally, to take care of yourself:
- Ask for help, the Suicide Prevention Hotline number is 800-273-8255
- Make a safety plan
- Remember that this feeling/thought can be overcome
- Evaluate your relationships, avoid those that are negative
At New Hope, we understand that many of the youth we serve come to us with a history of trauma and/or depression. As a result, we do an initial suicide risk assessment on everyone adolescent who is admitted. This involves gathering history and conducting an interview with the resident and/or their legal guardian in order to make sure we understand where they are coming from so we can keep them safe.
