“Sometimes even to live is an act of courage.”
— Lucius Annaeus Seneca
September is World Suicide Prevention Month.
I’ve long looked at suicide prevention mostly through an individual lens. Checking in on friends. Knowing the signs. But preventing suicide is also a cultural and societal level task that includes:
Normalizing conversations about struggles and mental health.
Being intentional around the language used around suicide. (ie. Avoiding terms like “succeeds” or “fails,” referring to an attempt.)
Creating a world that is safer for young LGBT+ people, who have disproportionately higher suicide rates. Expand services to Indigenous Americans. Native men have the highest rates in the country.
Firearms are the most chosen method for suicide, so enacting stricter gun laws.
Support expanding healthcare access, and making sure mental health care is included.
Supporting crisis services like peer crisis intervention or crisis text lines outside of law enforcement.
Suicide Prevention Month
