09/04/2025
September is National Su***de Prevention Month. We all have the ability to prevent su***de and intervene in situations where someone is considering ending their own life. It doesn't require credentialing or having "Dr." before your name. It requires awareness and willingness.
If any of you reading this ever find yourself considering su***de for any reason, I encourage you you please speak up. Tell a trusted person who is ready, willing, and able to help with empathy and without judgment.
If you'd feel more comfortable opening up to someone you don't know personally, the National Su***de Prevention Lifeline is available 24/7/365 by dialing 988.
If it's more comfortable for you to text, you can do so by texting the word "HOME" to 741741 (which is the Crisis Text Line). Both of these resources I've mentioned are free.
One way or another, don't fight that battle alone. Things can get better. That's not a hollow platitude. I can validate it from experience. I've been there. While people can often be very cold and cruel, I assure you there are also ones who care about you, your health, and your well-being. I'm one of them.
Also, I encourage everyone reading this to please be observant around your loved ones, coworkers, and friends, in order to pick up on potential warning signs of su***de.
The signs can include: talking about wanting to die, talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live, mentions of feeling trapped or in unbearable pain, talking about being a burden to others, increased drug and alcohol use, multiple major stressors occurring at once (job loss, divorce, death of a loved one, financial trouble, prolonged or serious illness, etc.), suddenly giving possessions away, no longer completing normal tasks, no longer maintaining grooming habits, suddenly making amends, suddenly becoming increasingly affectionate to others as if saying goodbye, writing texts or emails that come across as farewell letters, etc. These signs are particularly significant if they are occurring in combination and over multiple days.
We tell those struggling to speak up, but the reality is they may feel like they can't or don't know how, so we often need to take the initiative to start that conversation. If you see the signs or your instinct tells you something is wrong, follow your gut! Sit down with them (or call them if they're geographically distant), let them know you care about them and are always willing to listen without judgment, and tell them you're concerned about what you're seeing, hearing, noticing, or feeling. Listening is powerful and it's something we ALL have the ability to do. Listening alone can begin the healing process.
I say all this as someone who fought my own battles 14+ years ago. Things genuinely can get better (and I'm living proof of that, as are many others), but it takes time and you need to stick around to make it happen.
Please take care of yourselves and each other. I want good things for all of you, and you each deserve love, joy, peace, and hope.
-Shane (Silverladder.com)
***dePreventionMonth
