The answer is yes, suicide is absolutely preventable even if it doesnt always feel like it.
Theyre great to try for Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, but theyre important year-round too.
Heres how you’re free to help:
1.
Getty / Nipitphon Na Chiangmai / EyeEm
Sign up as a suicide prevention field advocate for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
Ill be the first to admit that I get overwhelmed by these types of calls to action.
Getting in touch with your representatives and parsing out legislation can be confusing.
Overall, actually making a difference as a citizen can feel like a pretty tall order.
There are calls to action unrelated to legislation as well.
Ask your representatives to fund suicide research.
Proper funding is crucial for making advances in understanding and preventing suicide.
We havent made a lot of scientific progress on suicide research, Foreman tells SELF.
One of the reasons for that is because were not well-funded.
That’s a $188 million difference.
There are scientists who are ready to go the minute their labs get funding.
But what has to happen is the public has to insist that thats what they want.
it’s possible for you to find out more about contacting your elected representativeshere.
When I was a child in the 1980s, we thought AIDS was a death sentence, says Foreman.
That happened in my lifetimeand it didnt happen because of a fluke, says Foreman.
It was because people who [were] impacted by HIV demanded that science was funded.
Its time to do that with [suicide].
Donate your data to support suicide research.
If we want science to go faster, what we need is data, says Foreman.
Many scientists are now looking into how social media can enhance our understanding of mental health.
After all, many of us spend a significant amount of time and energy on social media platforms.
OurDataHelps is overseen by a board of advisors made up of advocates, clinicians, and other experts.
You dont even have to deal with suicidal ideation or other mental health challenges.
Your data could still provide important information as a point of comparison.
Take a training course on being an effective suicide prevention ally.
All of the science-y and large-scale activism measures above are great.
This course varies in cost (and is sometimes free) depending on whos hosting it.
Find a Mental Health First Aid course near youhere.
you might take the course as an individual for $30here.
Talk about your experience.
Theres no single way to talk about your experience.
Even if you are ready to share, the way you talk about it matters.
We are such social creatures, says Dr. Moutier.
When we tell our stories in the right way, it really can be contagious in a positive way.
All told, sharingif its right for youcan contribute significantly to preventing suicide.
Youre creating a culture whenever you share, says Dr. Moutier.
And here is a list ofinternational suicide helplinesif youre outside the U.S.
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