National Suicide Prevention Week 2021 in the United States will begin on Sunday, September 5, and ends on Saturday, September 11. Dedicating a special week can provide much-needed space for spreading awareness about the dangers of self-harm and suicide in America. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in America and has been alarmingly increasing among previously unaffected demographics, including Baby Boomers and Gen Xers.
Discussions surrounding mental health in America remain highly stigmatized, especially in lower-income, rural, and minority communities. This puts individuals in these groups at greater risk for not receiving treatment for their mental health issues. Failure to receive treatment or inability to access treatment is a sure way to make matters worse. Fresh Start Recovery Center in Maryland is dedicated to helping those with mental health issues. Through our mental health treatment programs, clients receive much-needed help at the time when help is needed the most. If you or a loved one is battling anxiety or depression or struggling with issues of self-harm and suicidal thinking, it’s essential to find help as soon as possible. Fresh Start’s mental health treatment programs can support clients with a wide range of issues. Reach out today at 833.625.0398 to speak with a trained representative who can help you find the help you deserve.
Help Spread Awareness This National Suicide Prevention Week
You can participate in National Suicide Prevention Week by engaging with local organizations dedicated to suicide awareness and prevention. You can also reach out to those in need and offer to listen to their stories, and provide compassionate support without judgment.
National Suicide Prevention Week is an opportunity to post on social media using relevant hashtags to promote awareness. You can also engage in a positive discussion about mental health to help raise awareness. Social media provides individuals with a platform to tell their personal experiences with mental health, addiction. Sharing relatable stories can help others feel less alone.
Depression Often Coincides With Suicide Risk
Individuals who battle clinical depression are often at greater risk than others for self-harm and suicidal thinking. It’s helpful to know signs of depression so that if you notice symptoms in yourself or others that appear to be getting worse, you know it may be time for an intervention.
- Common signs of depression can include:
- Feelings of sadness, emptiness, or hopelessness
- Angry outbursts even over issues that seem minor
- Loss of interest or pleasure in most or all normal activities
- Insomnia or sleeping too much
- Excessive fatigue
- Change in eating habits
- Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
- Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions, and memory issues
In severe cases, individuals may experience more suicidal thoughts and actions. Loved ones can keep an eye out for red flags such as frequent mentions of death, feeling like life is pointless, fixation on experiences that felt humiliating, vocalizing suicidal thoughts, or self-harm.
Intervene if See Signs of Suicide Risk
If someone you care about is at immediate risk, do not treat the matter lightly. Suicide is a permanent solution to a person’s temporary, albeit overwhelming, problems. It is a misconception that people with high suicidal ideation will inevitably kill themselves at some point. Suicide is preventable. When someone is in a particularly vulnerable situation and experiencing high degrees of negative thinking or threatening self-harm, you must help them help themselves.
Reach Out to Fresh Start Today About Suicide Prevention
It’s ok to admit there is only so much you can handle on your own. That is why highly trained professionals are available to help manage mental health challenges, including suicide risk.
For more information about managing mental health or suicide prevention, reach out to Fresh Start Recovery Center at 833.625.0398 to speak with a trained representative who can help educate you about treatment and services for those in need.
