September is the month that recognizes the need for Suicide Prevention Awareness, seeing as suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for people ages 10-34 and the 4th leading cause of death for people 35-54 .
Suicide is always a concern, but with the ongoing pandemic and ever changing landscape that is 2020, mental health is as important as ever. Any health care professional should agree there is no health without mental health.
National google searches for “anxiety and depression” have increased dramatically since March, when the pandemic first started making headlines. Is there a direct correlation? Maybe not statistically, but for those that may have new feelings of anxiety or depression, coping with these new emotions can be difficult. For those that have experience with these mental illnesses, the problem is only compounded by the endless feeling of unknown.
Raising awareness about Suicide Prevention goes a long way towards erasing the stigma of talking about it. Every year we create a design for shirts to raise awareness so you and your group can wear them or sell them during the month of September! We also donate to the National Alliance on Mental Illness yearly because this is an on going battle.
Other ways to help your mental health include getting outside, where social distancing is possible. Go for a walk! This can be especially beneficial if you have a dog, because they will love it too and nothing beats a happy pup. Being outside is a mind booster as well as a physical booster so it’s a win win. Try to meditate if you can even for just 5 minutes in the morning or at night. For a couple more examples that are relatively easy to achieve, check out this article.
Whatever you do, do not discredit the importance of mental health. Erase the stigma around talking about mental health. Be open to the conversation with others or if someone reaches out to you. Above all, remember you are #NotAlone.
If you or someone you know needs helps now, you should immediately call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
For more information, we suggest checking out the National Alliance on Mental Illness. It is a grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.