September marks Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, a month intended to remind and promote seeking help for mental health. Mental health has been a known issue amongst students, as school work and family can cause mental and emotional strain, whether the student realizes it or not. With the dedication to suicide prevention this September, the aim is that people struggling can find the support they need.
According to the CDC, “over 49,000 people died from suicide in 2023.” Their current charts show that this year, along with the last, hold a similar trend. The question remains, how can a person help another who suffers with suicidal ideation, or how does someone experiencing these feelings seek help? Suicide is considered the last resort for those who struggle deeply with mental illness and/or disorders. There’s often a line cited by people who don’t experience suicidal ideation, that “suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.” An alternative is maybe they propose that there’s people who’ll be hurt by their passing. However, these words do more harm than good and can come together to make people feel worse.
It’s more important to be there for people. Whether or not they’re struggling, be there for your friends. Let them know that you’re there, that you love them, and just how much they mean to you. For many teens, admitting this in friendships can be corny, or even uncomfortable. But for someone to hear that they mean something, that their life matters more than they believe, could mean all the difference.
There are many outside resources that someone can utilize to help a friend, a person they hold concern for, or themselves. The number for the National Suicide Hotline is 988, which can be either called or texted. The latter is better utilized for non-life-threatening situations, like if one were considering harming themself, or struggling with a panic attack. 988 California, created by the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, specializes in emotional and mental crisis situations. It’s important to note that these lines are completely confidential, and you won’t face any judgement or recourse for reaching out for help.
Additionally, there’s many local resources to seek out. At the Children’s Hospital of Orange County, CHOC, they have the Mental Health Crisis Clinic, a clinic that specializes in aiding minors in crisis situations, like high suicidal ideation or extreme mental disorder episodes. There’s also Didi Hirsch, a place to receive prolonged therapy for such struggles.
One of our closest resources is Segerstrom’s counselors. Counselors will be there to help you for whatever struggle you face, including mental health struggles. With them, you can plan how to manage classes while keeping yourself safe and taken care of, among other things.
For anyone currently struggling with suicidal ideation, all these resources are here for you to gain support. There are people in your life that will be there for you, even if it doesn’t seem that way. There are still good shows that’ll have new episodes, good food to look forward to, maybe updates to a game you may like to look forward to. Even the smallest thing can be a reason to stay.
