Talking about suicide is suicide prevention.

And we don’t want to lose anyone else. You included.             [Your truth, your fears, your pain, and your doubts do not make you a burden—they make you human.]( We dream of a world where we don’t lose anyone by suicide. If you’re reading this and you’re struggling, please know that there is help and that the heavy you’re enduring doesn’t mean you yourself are a burden. Our hope in having this conversation with you and sharing the words below is for you to feel seen, supported, and a little less overwhelmed by shame or fear. We know that suicide is a complex social and health crisis that impacts every community on the planet. These losses deeply affect our communities in heartbreaking and life-altering ways, which means it’s vital for all of us to know how we can be a part of this movement. [Globally, 1 in 100 deaths is a suicide.] [Over the last decade, suicide rates in the US have increased most for people of color.] [Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 14-18-year-olds in the US.] [90 percent of people who die by suicide have an underlying mental health condition.] Sources: 1. [World Health Organization]( | 2. [KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation)]( 3.[National Institute of Mental Health]( | 4. [American Foundation for Suicide Prevention]( The truth about suicide. Although it's uncomfortable to admit, suicidal thinking, or what's often called suicidal ideation, is more common than we tend to believe. In the US, 12 million people seriously thought about suicide last year. A quarter of those folks will take the next step to make a plan. No one takes their life for a single reason. Life stressors combined with known risk factors—such as childhood trauma, substance use, and even chronic physical pain—can contribute to someone taking their life. And 90 percent of people who die by suicide have an underlying, and potentially treatable, mental health condition. This is why we believe therapy and treatment can be life-saving. It's crucial we understand how our voices can help disrupt the experience many people facing suicidal thoughts have, which is often: "I am alone" and "I am a burden" and “It will always be this way for the foreseeable future.” According to Dr. Thomas Joiner's Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicidal Behavior, when these beliefs are paired with the capacity or knowledge for lethal means, a life-threatening situation emerges. So if we can challenge the false beliefs behind those suicidal thoughts, we can increase our ability to support those who are struggling. Knowing all of this gives us hope for changing the rising rates of suicide. If we can create space for open and safe conversations, help limit lethal means, and increase access to affordable mental health care, we can save lives. Suicide prevention. Understanding. Suicide impacts so many of us and we can all help prevent it. It starts with knowledge—with a better understanding of how someone (a friend, a partner, a teenager) can get to a moment of crisis, what to look for, and what to do when we recognize [the signs](. Having the conversations. Creating safe spaces in our lives and communities for honest conversations can make a life-saving difference. We can do this by checking in with loved ones, creating a [safety plan]( for ourselves, and sharing our stories openly and honestly. Our [2022 Suicide Prevention Pack]( exists to support you in doing all of this. Mental health resources. As empathetic humans, we do our best to show up for those we love. Sometimes that can include connecting them to mental health professionals who can provide further support when they’re struggling. While we can’t know when hard moments will happen, we can learn what [resources exist]( here and now. [LEARN MORE]( [Your truth, your fears, your pain, and your doubts do not make you a burden—they make you human.]( We dream of a world where we don’t lose anyone by suicide. If you’re reading this and you’re struggling, please know that there is help and that the heavy you’re enduring doesn’t mean you yourself are a burden. Our hope in having this conversation with you and sharing the words below is for you to feel seen, supported, and a little less overwhelmed by shame or fear. We know that suicide is a complex social and health crisis that impacts every community on the planet. These losses deeply affect our communities in heartbreaking and life-altering ways, which means it’s vital for all of us to know how we can be a part of this movement. [Globally, 1 in 100 deaths is a suicide. ] [Over the last decade, suicide rates in the US have increased most for people of color.] [Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 14-18-year-olds in the US.] [90 percent of people who die by suicide have an underlying mental health condition.] Sources: 1. [World Health Organization]( | 2. [KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation)]( 3.[National Institute of Mental Health]( | 4. [American Foundation for Suicide Prevention]( The truth about suicide. Although it's uncomfortable to admit, suicidal thinking, or what's often called suicidal ideation, is more common than we tend to believe. In the US, 12 million people seriously thought about suicide last year. A quarter of those folks will take the next step to make a plan. No one takes their life for a single reason. Life stresses combined with known risk factors—such as childhood trauma, substance use, and even chronic physical pain—can contribute to someone taking their life. And 90 percent of people who die by suicide have an underlying, and potentially treatable, mental health condition. This is why we believe therapy and treatment can be life-saving. It's crucial we understand how our voices can help disrupt the experience many people facing suicidal thoughts have, which is often: "I am alone" and '"I am a burden" and “It will always be this way for the foreseeable future.” According to Dr. Thomas Joiner's Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicidal Behavior, when these beliefs are paired with the capacity or knowledge for lethal means, a life-threatening situation emerges. So if we can challenge the false beliefs behind those suicidal thoughts, we can increase our ability to support those who are struggling. Knowing all of this gives us hope for changing the rising rates of suicide. If we can create space for open and safe conversations, help limit lethal means, and increase access to affordable mental health care, we can save lives. Suicide Prevention. Understanding. Suicide impacts so many of us and we can all help prevent it. It starts with knowledge—with a better understanding of how someone (a friend, a partner, a teenager) can get to a moment of crisis, what to look for, and what to do when we recognize the [signs of suicide](. Having the conversations. Creating safe spaces in our lives and communities for honest conversations can make a life-saving difference. We can do this by checking in with loved ones, creating a [safety plan]( for ourselves, and sharing our stories openly and honestly. Our [2022 Suicide Prevention Pack]( exists to support you in doing all of this. Mental health resources. As empathetic humans, we do our best to show up for those we love. Sometimes that can include connecting them to mental health professionals who can provide further support when they’re struggling. While we can’t know when hard moments will happen, we can learn what [resources exist]( here and now. [LEARN MORE]( You are not alone. We believe in the power of storytelling and are so grateful to all the people who have shared their stories with the TWLOHA community through our Blog and Podcast. Whether your lived experience is with thoughts, attempts, or losing someone, we hope listening and reading will help you feel seen and understood. [What Not To Say or Do When Someone Is Struggling With Suicide]( [Talking About Suicide with Dr. Thomas Joiner]( [Passive Versus Active Thoughts of Suicide]( You are not alone. We believe in the power of storytelling and are so grateful to all the people who have shared their stories with the TWLOHA community through our Blog and Podcast. Whether your lived experience is with thoughts, attempts, or losing someone, we hope listening and reading will help you feel seen and understood. [Suicide Attempt: Moving Forward With Hope](   [What Not To Say or Do When Someone Is Struggling With Suicide](   [Talking About Suicide with Dr. Thomas Joiner]( [Passive Versus Active Thoughts of Suicide]( [The Only Way Out is Up]( [READ MORE]( [You are not a burden.]( So many of us were taught to wrap shame around our fears and our middle-of-the-night thoughts. But we don’t subscribe to this lesson. We don’t believe that shame will provide us with anything conducive. Suicide is seen as tragic, but it isn’t something to ridicule, belittle, or demean. If you are uncertain of seeing tomorrow or being able to make it through today, we want to meet you in that space with hope in one hand and help in the other. [EXPLORE THE RESOURCES]( [Drawing of flower.] If you've lost someone by suicide. This loss comes with questions—along with all of the emotions that grief brings up. We want you to know that everything you’re feeling and wondering about is valid. But we also want to remind you that any guilt felt can and should be released. Our friends at AFSP have created some wonderful resources for survivors of suicide loss, including a list of support groups where you can find community with others who know what this is like. [CONNECT TO SUPPORT]( [Give hope.]( Because we know that having access to professional mental health care can be life-saving, we want to make it easier for everyone to get connected to the help they need. Through our Treatment & Recovery Scholarship Program, we are working to eliminate barriers that keep people isolated in their pain. Your donation helps get us closer to our goal of $250,000—which provides 3,600 counseling and group therapy sessions and connects 45,000 people to local mental health care services. [DONATE]( [READ MORE]( [You are not a burden.]( So many of us were taught to wrap shame around our fears and our middle-of-the-night thoughts. But we don’t subscribe to this lesson. We don’t believe that shame will provide us with anything conducive. Suicide is seen as tragic, but it isn’t something to ridicule, belittle, or demean. If you are uncertain of seeing tomorrow or being able to make it through today, we want to meet you in that space with hope in one hand and help in the other. [EXPLORE THE RESOURCES]( [Drawing of flower.] If you have lost someone to suicide. This loss comes with questions—along with all of the emotions that grief brings up. We want you to know that everything you’re feeling and wondering about is valid. But we also want to remind you that any guilt felt can and should be released. Our friends at AFSP have created some wonderful resources for survivors of suicide loss, including a list of support groups where you can find community with others who know what this is like. [CONNECT TO SUPPORT]( [Give hope.]( Because we know that having access to professional mental health care can be life-saving, we want to make it easier for everyone to get connected to the help they need. Through our Treatment & Recovery Scholarship Program, we are working to eliminate barriers that keep people isolated in their pain. Your donation helps get us closer to our goal of $250,000—which provides 3,600 counseling and group therapy sessions and connects 45,000 people to local mental health services. [DONATE]( [Hope is real. Help is real. 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