September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.

Mental health advocates, prevention organizations, survivors, allies, and community members join together to encourage and promote suicide prevention and awareness.

National Suicide Prevention Week is September 6-12, 2020.

During this week, we share resources, and stories of survival, hope, and prevention. This is a time for action, and for us to remember that resiliency and recovery are possible.

World Suicide Prevention Day is September 10th.

We take the time to acknowledge those that we have lost and those that we hope to save.

Please watch DWIHN’s Emmy Nominated PSA, “Not My Suicide Note”.

Suicide is one of those uncomfortable words for many people. Just the thought of the word suicide may bring many emotions and much judgment. These feelings may be due to the lack of understanding, or the stigma associated with suicide. The reality is communities and cultures across the globe experience suicides. This is not an isolated happening. Nearly 800, 000 people die by suicide each year (WHO, 2019). This is equivalent to one person dying every 40 seconds. In Michigan, someone dies by suicide every seven hours (MI Blues Perspectives, 2019). The rates of suicide have increased by 33% in the last twenty years. The rates of deaths in our youth have doubled. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15-29 year-olds globally, and in the State of Michigan (WHO, 2019, AFSP, 2020).

COVID-19 and other life stressors contribute to anxiety, depression, feelings of hopelessness, and helplessness. Loss of family members, relationships, employment, and finances can greatly impact a person’s thoughts of suicide. If you notice a change in someone that you care about or feel an ounce of worry, get involved, let them know that you care and would like to help them. Stay calm, and maintain a hopeful attitude. Maybe they just need to know that you care, and are willing to be there and listen. Be direct, talk openly about suicide in a non-judgmental way, and take any and all talk of suicide seriously.

If you or someone that you know needs support, please don’t wait, reach out today. There are several resources available:

DWIHN’s 24/7 HelpLine: 800-241-4949
ReachUsDetroit: 313-488-HOPE (4673)
National Suicide Hotline: 800-273 TALK (8255)
24/7 Crisis Text Line: Text the word Home to 741-741

Hope and help are within reach for millions of struggling Americans – but your support is needed. A few minutes of your time will make a difference for decades to come.

This National Suicide Prevention Week, as we recognize the importance of suicide prevention and the work of service providers in this space, we invite you to raise your voice.

On Tuesday, September 15, the National Council for Behavioral Health is joining a coalition of partners to call on the House of Representatives to pass the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act.

Having a three-digit dialing code (9-8-8) in place can’t wait – especially as the pandemic creates new obstacles to accessing care. Will you help them elevate their #988CantWait message?

Mark your calendars for their virtual “day of action” next Tuesday as they take their message to Congress and urge the passage of this life-saving legislation.

Look for an email from them on September 15th with a link to contact your legislators and tips for maximizing your social media efforts. Questions? Contact them!

Explore the power of the disability vote from an upcoming webinar hosted by the AUCD on Friday, September 11 from 2:00 p-3:00 p.

31.7% of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities voted in 2016 compared to 61.4% of all Americas. This year, 35 million eligible voters are people with disabilities. Understand how the COVID-19 pandemic will impact voting and get connected to tools that help empower persons with disabilities and their families.

ASL interpretation and real time captions will be provided.