Suicide Prevention Month
There is so much misinformation about suicide, that it has resulted in a stigma and decision to, “Don’t talk about it.” If we talk about it then it will make the ‘hurting’ person do it.” This is a myth and statistically untrue! The more we remove the stigma and silence about suicide and the more we hear, share, and talk about someone’s or our own struggles with mental health issues, the less likely suicide will happen.
Everyone has had suicidal thoughts! We don’t always tell anyone about them. They can occur during a breakup from a relationship, a loved one passing away or we are facing an incredibly overwhelming crisis; those thoughts drop out of the sky and are fleeting; this is a coping mechanism of avoidance. That is normal because suicidal thoughts occur on a spectrum from less to high intensity.
Mental Health providers become concerned when these thoughts become a serious option. Someone may begin daily thoughts that increase to multiple times per day. The intensity grows to the planning stage, gathering what it would take to harm themselves and even practicing.
If someone or you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please tell someone, they can provide support and they can accompany you to the nearest ER, family physician, or mental health provider to be assessed. Just as if you were having signs of a heart attack you would seek help and not wait.
If you’re considering self-harm or suicide, you’re not alone. If you’re having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, you can access free support right away with these resources:
If you are experiencing difficult thoughts call or text: 988
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call the Lifeline at 800-273-8255, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The Crisis Text Line. Text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741.
The Trevor Project. LGBTQIA+ and under 25 years old? Call 866-488-7386, text “START” to 678678, or chat online 24-7.
Veterans Crisis Line. Call 800-273-8255, text 838255, or chat online 24-7.
Deaf Crisis Line. Call 321-800-DEAF (3323) or text “HAND” at 839863.
Befrienders Worldwide. This international crisis helpline network can help you find a local helpline.
So what about family and friends of people whose loved ones have passed away by suicide? They are left behind. There are support groups.
Team of Mercy is a nonprofit organization aiming to assist survivors following an attempted and/or completed suicide with any necessary help the loved ones left behind may need. They want to bring awareness to the community and decrease the stigma of suicide and mental health. 855-225-5550. They assist with access to counseling, have support groups, and provide other resources. They have a Facebook page and a website.
The struggles with isolation, fallout from the past COVID crisis, and increased cost of living has an impact on ALL of our mental health. Please reach out because if you are struggling there is a high probability that others are also. We must ALL reconnect safely and cease the isolation of a topic that needs to be discussed.
From IN.gov for Suicide Prevention:
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is the eleventh leading cause of death in Indiana and the second leading cause of death for Hoosiers between the ages of 10 and 34 years.
In 2020, the Indiana Youth Institute reported that the percentage of Hoosier middle and high school students who considered attempting suicide ranged from a low of 11.8% (or 1 in 9 sixth-grade students) to a high of 19.3% (or 1 in 5 tenth-grade students). In addition, results from SAMHSA’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health estimates that 262,000 Hoosiers ages 18 years and older had serious thoughts of suicide during 2017-2018.
Indiana’s suicide rate has been higher than the national suicide rate since 2000 and its rate in 2017 was the highest suicide rate observed in Indiana in over five decades. More than 1,000 Hoosiers have been lost to suicide every year since 2016 and Indiana is in the top ten of U.S. states showing the largest percentage increase in deaths by suicide among 10–24-year-olds between 2007 and 2018.
Indiana’s suicide prevention efforts are focused on realizing the bold and aspirational vision of zero suicides among Hoosiers. In 2017, the Indiana General Assembly passed, and the governor signed, House Enrolled Act 1430. As a result, the Division of Mental Health and Addiction hired a statewide suicide prevention director. DMHA has allocated more than1 million dollars from the Mental Health Block Grant to expand and strengthen the existing suicide prevention infrastructure throughout the state. This work continues today. Indiana has an expanding network of community members and professionals engaged in suicide prevention through the Indiana Suicide Prevention Network, the ISPN Advisory Council, the Indiana Suicide Prevention Coalition, and the numerous suicide prevention coalitions and partners throughout the state. We hope that you will join this important work as we collectively seek to improve the quality of life for as many Hoosiers as possible and, through this ambition, build a culture in Indiana that makes the possibility of suicide less and less likely.
Sheri Trendleman, Behavioral Health Provider
