TWK Church & Society | September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

If you or someone you know is in an emergency, call or text 988.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2020:

• Suicide was the twelfth leading cause of death overall in the United States, claiming the lives of over 45,900 people.
• Suicide was the second leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10-14 and 25-34, the third leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 15-24, and the fourth leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 35 and 44.
• There were nearly two times as many suicides (45,979) in the United States as there were homicides (24,576).

The overall suicide rate has increased 35% since 1999 (NAMI, 2021). Suicide is a serious public health concern that affects individuals, families and communities as a whole.

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month – a time to raise awareness of this stigmatized, and often taboo, topic. A Christian perspective on suicide begins with an affirmation of faith that nothing, including suicide, separates us from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39). Pastors and faith communities are encouraged to address this issue through preaching and teaching and to provide pastoral care to those at risk, survivors, and their families.

To read more about the United Methodist view on suicide and what United Methodists can do about suicide go to https://www.umc.org/en/content/ask-the-umc-valuing-life-threats-to-life. 

If you or someone you know is suicidal, here’s what you can do:

• Call 911
• Go to the nearest emergency room
• Call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (a 24-hour free resource) 
• Text TALK to 741741, the Crisis Text Line

Other helpful resources include:

• Warm Line (for those not in crisis but wanting to talk to someone): http://www.warmline.org/
• Trevor Lifeline for LGBTQIA+ youth: 1-866-488-7386⠀
• Disaster Distress Helpline: call or text 1-800-985-5990 to connect with a trained crisis counselor
• Veterans Crisis Line: 988 then Press 1 to talk to someone or send a text message to 838255 to connect with a VA responder 
• Find a local Mental Health America (MHA) affiliate: https://arc.mentalhealthamerica.net/find-an-affiliate
• SAMHSA Treatment Locator: https://findtreatment.samhsa.gov
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: https://afsp.org