September is national suicide prevention month, a time dedicated to raising awareness of suicide warning signs, reducing the stigma surrounding suicide prevention, and guiding people to effective treatment options for preventing suicide. Suicide awareness can often be a challenging point of discussion — but by opening the dialogue, providing resources, and offering support for suicidal individuals, suicide can be prevented.
If you or someone you know are having thoughts of suicide, support is available right now by calling or texting 988 — or by chatting online with a mental health professional at 988lifeline.org to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
If you’re struggling with depressive thoughts and want to talk to an expert, find an Elite DNA location near you by visiting our website, or call our team today for a consultation.
Suicide Awareness
The first step to prevent suicide is for people to become more aware of the scope of the problem.
- According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide happens more often in younger adults.
- According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is the second leading cause of death for people between the ages of 10-34.
But crucially, suicide is preventable. National Suicide Prevention Month and World Suicide Prevention Day, which takes place on September 10, set out to save lives by bringing a hopeful message and providing people with the resources needed to make it through difficult times.
Suicide Prevention Resources
When you or a loved one have started experiencing suicidal ideation, or simply feel like you are at risk of suicide and need help, there are an abundance of resources available for you. This includes both immediate crisis care, as well as long-term treatment and therapy options that can address the root cause of mental health challenges and guide you toward long-term recovery.
Suicide Helplines
Suicide prevention helplines are available 24/7 throughout the entire United States and provide free, immediate crisis intervention if you or a loved one is considering suicide. They are typically staffed by either professional counselors or specially trained volunteers. These programs are designed to support people who are in imminent danger of suicidal behaviors.
Importantly, suicide helplines are not meant to be considered treatment in themselves. These hotlines are designed to help talk people through crises and refer people onward to more intensive mental health treatment options. Helplines fill a similar role in mental health care as an ambulance does in medical health care: helping people to stabilize long enough to find long-term treatment solutions.
There are several different helplines available:
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
The 988 Lifeline is a nationwide service that provides crisis intervention and support for people experiencing suicidality or other types of mental health crises. It can be reached 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by calling or texting 988.
The Lifeline website is filled with online suicide prevention resources as well. Visiting 988lifeline.org offers a confidential and secure online chat option for people experiencing a crisis, as well as evidence-based information about suicide prevention, risk factors, and volunteer opportunities.
988 Lifeline is funded through the SAMHSA and is a completely free resource for people of all ages, cultures, genders, and sexual orientations. If you need urgent help right now, dial 988.
Crisis Text Line
The Crisis Text Line is available 24/7 by texting HOME to 741741. This service provides live texting for people experiencing mental health distress or suicidality to help talk you down from a hot moment. The Crisis Text Line is provided by volunteers who have undergone extensive training and can help with issues such as self-harm, severe depression, suicidal ideation, and severe anxiety.
Visiting crisistextline.org can connect you to a live chat with an online volunteer, and the service is also available through WhatsApp.
The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project is an online resource designed specifically for LGBTQIA+ youth suicide prevention. You can chat with a counselor online at thetrevorproject.org, by calling the TrevorLifeline at 1-866-488-7386 or texting START to 678-678.
While the primary goal of the Trevor Project is suicide prevention, their website also serves to educate, provide resources for LGBTQIA+ youth, and foster community among young people who are struggling.
Therapy for Suicide Prevention
Therapy can play an important role in alleviating the causes of suicidal behavior. Starting work with a therapist can support you in managing depression and anxiety, overcoming mental health challenges, and reducing suicidal thoughts that can be intensely distressing.
Talk therapy provides people with the tools and resources to start living healthier and more productive lives. While reaching out to a new therapist is not recommended in a crisis situation, it can play an important role in suicide prevention and helping people restore their mental health to a better state.
Among countless others, some of the things that starting work with a therapist can help with include:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Grief
- Chronic illness
- Physical or emotional abuse
Working with a therapist helps people to understand these conditions, how they’re affecting their lives, and what the road to recovery looks like. There are several different types of therapy to choose from as well, including:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is centered on the understanding that a person’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors all influence one another. With this understanding, therapists aim to help you change the way you think and behave, which can positively affect the way you feel, and ultimately bring about long-lasting mental health relief.
Working with a CBT therapist can provide you with targeted suicide prevention strategies, help you overcome common mental health challenges, and equip you with the tools to maintain better mental health for years to come.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) was based upon the foundation of CBT, but DBT puts an emphasis on skills building to help people be more present, able to manage distress, regulate emotions, and be more effective interpersonally. In addition, DBT therapists focus on helping people change what they can while learning to accept what they cannot. This mindful acceptance of difficult thoughts or experiences can help prevent you from acting on impulse or making rash decisions that you may regret later.
By learning to accept that two things can be true – such as that you can both accept yourself as you are while working to change yourself – you can work to create a personalized recovery plan that helps prevent suicidal thoughts.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is focused on teaching clients the key skills of mindfulness, acceptance, and values-based action. For many people, the key source of their mental health challenges is found in their attempts to control or avoid them, and learning to accept these challenges can act as a pathway to a better state of mental health.
This core element of acceptance is complemented by a commitment to action that aligns with your values. An ACT therapist can help you determine what your values are, how you can commit to living up to these values, and help you create a sense of meaning and purpose in life.
Start Treatment with Elite DNA
If you or a loved one are experiencing mental health challenges, starting comprehensive treatment with Elite DNA will equip you with suicide prevention tools, restore your mental health, and get you started on building a better life in recovery. From in-person and virtual talk therapy to medication management and TMS, our team has everything you’ll need to make tangible progress toward better mental health.
To get started, find a location near you by visiting our website and call our team today for a no-obligation consultation.
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