If you or someone you know is in crisis or at risk for suicide, call or text 988 or chat online at 988lifeline.org. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the United States.
September is National Suicide Awareness Month. This year, National Suicide Prevention Week is observed from Sunday, September 7, through Saturday, September 13. Scroll down to read articles and resources about suicide prevention, and how to spread awareness about suicide prevention in your congregation and community.
Gather magazine
“Deaths of despair occur with every age, gender and ethnicity,” writes Elise Seyfried in “Who dies by suicide?” an article in the May/June 2024 issue of Gather magazine.
Boldcafe.org
The Rev. Minna Bothwell shares her story of the grief and trauma she continues to experience two years after the death of her brother to suicide. Read “Post-traumatic living after suicide” in the August 2024 issue.
In her article, “Love becomes our story,” Pastor Bothwell talks reminds us of Christ’s love from John 13, “Christ’s love is the story I come back to time and time again when I find myself dizzy from despair and when everything around me feels like it is crumbling. I come back to Jesus tenderly loving his own on that final night before his crucifixion. It reminds me of who and whose I am: beloved child of God, washed and fed, claimed and nourished, loved and forgiven, now and always, no matter what.”
National Alliance on Mental Health
“#SuicidePreventionMonth reminds us that silence can cost lives — and conversation can save them.” Visit the National Alliance on Mental Health website (nami.org/suicidepreventionmonth) to learn more about ways to help. Download and share social media graphics to encourage conversation about suicide prevention and more.
National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH) Digital Toolkit
Recognize the warning signs of suicide and learn how to get help. Share digital resources about suicide prevention posted in the Digital Toolkit.