September is a great month, not because it starts to get cold and National Grandparents Day is on the Sunday after Labor Day, but also because it is National Suicide Prevention Month. This month helps shine a light on people who might have helped others around them. September also helps communities educate themselves on such a tragic incident that takes away millions of lives from families every day. There are many things we, as a society, can do to help those around us. Keep reading to find out. 

National Prevention Month was officially declared in September 2008, so we could give the attention needed to suicide for a month. Although national suicide prevention month was declared in September 2008, this topic dates all the way back to 1958! In 1958, the first suicide prevention center was introduced to us by three psychologists: Edwin Shneidman, Norman Farberow, and Robert Litman. The prevention center focused its time on studying suicidal behaviors, which then led to the first suicide prevention hotline. Fast forward to 2001, the United States surgeon general, David Satcher, published the very first “National strategy for suicide”. The national strategy for suicide is a book that was published by the United States Department of Health and Human Services.  The national strategy for suicide is a book that represents the work of advocates, researchers, survivors, and clinicians.

There isn’t just one way to educate ourselves about suicide. Educating ourselves and our communities can be very challenging at times if we don’t know how to do it. There are so many ways we can educate our communities as well as ourselves. Educating people about suicide isn’t only a one-place thing; it can be in schools, the workplace, and community centers. The places mentioned can help educate people by having lectures that are led by suicide survivors, families of victims, and as well as mental health advocates to raise awareness. Sharing informational ads like pamphlets and even hanging up posters in your workplace or just in public places. This would help tremendously to get people more involved and informed on this topic. Sharing positive and informational things on social media is also such a great way to get things out there and have people approach us if help is needed. Making a safe and welcoming environment is also a good way to help introduce people to how important it is to be educated on this topic. Another way that would be very helpful is improving access to resources such as professional counseling, Helplines, etc. Doing all these things can help the community learn the signs of suicide so they can help promote mental health.  

Recognizing suicidal actions is essential when it comes to looking to help others. Believe it or not, we can make a difference in everyone’s lives. Anything we say can affect a person in both a positive and a negative way, so it’s important to watch our words. We can start by noticing changes in behaviors such as sleeping habits, eating habits, and emotional changes etc. When it comes to trying to help someone you might believe to be having thoughts of suicide, it’s important to keep in mind to approach them gently and not bombard them with questions, because then they won’t feel safe. It’s important to remember to listen more than to speak because people who might be suicidal would rather be seen and heard rather than being told how to “fix” themselves. Make sure to make them feel heard, seen, cared about, and unjudged. You can also let them know they have options like therapy, support groups, etc. They might not be convinced to go or be willing to get the help they might need, so make sure you’re supporting them every step of the way 

In conclusion, National suicide prevention Month is a Month to make sure the issue of suicide is an important topic that needs to be talked about more often. We as a community can help to make sure to reduce the disapproval of mental health by helping others around us, either on social media, in our neighborhoods, workplace, or even at school. Something else that I would like to bring up is that just because someone might be showing these signs doesn’t mean they could be having negative/suicidal thoughts, so it’s important to take this into consideration as well.