Supporting others during National Suicide Prevention Week
By Terese O’Malley, Well-being Consultant
National Suicide Prevention Week (Sept. 4-10, 2022) is a time to raise awareness, spread hope, remove stigma and share resources. Suicide can affect anyone regardless of gender, age or background. And help is out there.
In the U.S., almost 46,000 people died by suicide in 2020, and there were an estimated 1.2 million suicide attempts, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
To help prevent suicide, it’s important to be able to recognize warning signs:
- Increased alcohol and drug use
- Aggressive behavior
- Withdrawal from friends, family and community
- Dramatic mood swings
- Impulsive or reckless behavior
Source: NAMI
Recognizing signs is the first step; it’s also important to know how to offer support in a crisis. Remember to calmly ask simple and direct questions (e.g., “Can I call someone to help?”), listen, and express concern.
If you or a loved one is having suicidal thoughts, seek immediate help from a healthcare provider, or call, chat or text 988 to reach the new Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
We’re resharing a video of one of our Clorox teammates, Shae McCowen, Sales Planning team leader, in hopes that his mental health journey will help someone else in need.
It’s important to remember that you’re not alone.