Spreading Hope

September is National Suicide Prevention Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness of suicide risk and promoting resources for prevention.  According to the CDC, “suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States,” and results in “one death every 11 minutes.”

It is an overwhelming statistic, and suicide can seemingly occur without warning. Two years ago, I wrote about the devastation my friend Candice experienced in early 2019 when her brother Charles died by suicide. Described as ‘a wonderful son, brother, uncle and loyal friend,’ Candice shared that her family members were always close, and since the loss of her brother she supports more open discussions about mental health and cherishes meaningful connections.

Encouraging conversations about mental health is important at any age, and for kids and teens, has the potential for lasting impact. Candice shared in our earlier post that, “Mentors, parents, coaches and teacher all need to understand it (suicide) and normalize discussions about it.” Becoming educated in suicide risks and resources is a key step to becoming an effective ally for suicide prevention. Understanding the warning signs of suicide can save lives, and the National Association on Mental Awareness (NAMI) provides important information on the warning signs.  And the 988-hotline launched in mid-2022, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, offers immediate help and connections to resources.

While larger organizations like NAMI and the CDC provide important educational resources, I am inspired by suicide prevention advocates like Leslie Weirich. I started following Leslie on LinkedIn several years ago, reading posts about her grassroots efforts to provide support and resources to those who’ve lost loved ones to suicide.  Leslie lost her son Austin to suicide in 2016, and the fact that he was a popular, attractive, and athletic 20-year-old college student captured national attention.

Every time I read one of Leslie’s posts, I learn something new. She’s recently been promoting training called QPR – an acronym for Question, Persuade and Refer. The QPR Institute provides a one-hour online training course in this interventional technique, providing people with the tools to approach a loved one, or perhaps a perfect stranger, who may be in crisis. Asking questions is an act of caring, and you never know when that expression of interest or concern may be the turning point for someone in crisis. When Jon Bon Jovi and his assistant recently approached a woman on the edge of a bridge in Tennessee, it shined a spotlight on how we all can play a role in suicide prevention.

By educating ourselves and others, we can create more supportive environments, making it easier for people to seek help.

Get out there this weekend and do something for someone who needs encouragement. Because that is Suicide Prevention #101.

Leslie Weirich on LinkedIn