September is dedicated to suicide prevention, and a big part of this month is geared to give light to resources and let people know that they are not alone.
According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the U.S., while for those 15 to 24 it is the second leading cause of death in2022. In 2021 there was an estimated report of 1.7 million suicide attempts.
What can be done? There are resources for those who are feeling at risk, such as the suicide and crisis hotline number: 988.
However, it is important to note that there are ways to help outside of a crisis and it is possible to safely intervene when you notice signs. For example, warning signs to look out for are negative self-talk, changed harmful behavior, loss of interest and depressed or irritable mood.
Once a person is aware of the signs, take the steps to apply the acronym ACT acknowledge, care and tell. There are trusted adults who can be notified. There are a great group of counselors on the Richland campus who are here to help.
Karen Cuttill, Rachel Estrada and Louis Daniel Whatley are the Richland counselors.
There are more resources available on the Dallas College website (DallasCollege.edu), including the Richland page. Most are online tools. There is a section dedicated to different numbers under Mental Health Resources that provides hotlines for different crisis situations.
Of course, there are ways to stay informed for yourself or a loved one in person, there are workshops and events across Dallas College campuses that are a way to stay involved. It’s essential in order to reduce the stigma around mental health, to clear the stereotypes along with the discrimination.
Anyone can be at risk.. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, in 2021, 3.90 times more men died by suicide than women. Furthermore, the second highest suicide rate among demographics were Native Americans and Alaska natives.
There is hope. There are resources, and you are not alone.