LISTEN, LEARN AND ACT: PREVENT SUICIDE
LISTEN AND UNDERSTAND SUICIDE WARNING SIGNS
Suicide does not discriminate. It affects individuals in all stages of life, causing approximately 123 deaths per day in the United States. Approximately every 11 minutes, someone loses a loved one, a family member, a friend, a coworker or an employee to suicide. We are all stakeholders in the fight against suicide. There are actions we can take individually and as a community to save lives.
This web page serves as a source of information regarding warning signs and prevention as well as other resources. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please seek help immediately. Resources are listed below.
SIGNS OF CONCERN
- Talking about wanting to die or suicide
- Increased drug or alcohol use
- Anger
- Feeling hopeless, desperate, trapped
- No sense of purpose
- Reckless behavior
- Withdrawal
- Anxiety or agitation
- Changes in sleep
- Putting affairs in order
- Giving away possessions
- Sudden mood changes
ACTION: If someone is showing any or a combination of the above behaviors, call 988.
988 has been designated as the new three-digit dialing code that will route callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. When people call, text, or chat 988, they will be connected to trained counselors that are part of the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline network.
- Click here for the 988 website to access chat feature.
- Veterans: press 1 at the prompt. Click here for Veterans 988 page.
- TTY users: use your preferred relay service or dial 711 then 988.
The previous Lifeline phone number (1-800-273-8255) will always remain available to people in emotional distress or suicidal crisis.
Ayuda En Español: Lifeline ofrece 24/7, servicios gratuitos en español, y no es necesario hablar inglés si usted necesita ayuda. Cuando usted llama al número 1-888-628-9454, su llamada se dirige al centro de ayuda de nuestra red disponible más cercano. ¡Su llamada es confidencial!
Para recursos en español, por favor haga clic aquí.
SIGNS OF CRISIS
- Someone threatening to hurt or kill themselves
- Someone looking for ways to kill themselves: seeking access to pills, weapons, or other means
- Someone talking or writing about suicide, or about death and dying when this is out of the ordinary for them
ACTION: Call 911 or seek immediate help when you hear or see any one of these behaviors.
For more information about warning signs, visit SuicideisPreventable.org. (Source: EachMind Matters)
LEARN HOW TO PREVENT SUICIDE
Begin by following the steps below to make a positive impact and prevent suicides.
ASK
Research shows people who are having thoughts of suicide feel relief when someone asks after them in a caring way. Findings suggest acknowledging and talking about suicide may reduce rather than increase suicidal ideation.
KEEP THEM SAFE
A number of studies have indicated that when lethal means are made less available or less deadly, suicide rates by that method decline, and frequently suicide rates overall decline.
BE THERE
Individuals are more likely to feel less depressed, less suicidal, less overwhelmed, and more hopeful after speaking to someone who listens without judgment.
HELP THEM STAY CONNECTED
Studies indicate that helping someone at risk creates a network of resources and individuals for support and safety can help them take positive action and reduce feelings of hopelessness.
FOLLOW UP
Studies have also shown that brief, low cost intervention and supportive, ongoing contact may be an important part of suicide prevention, especially for individuals after they have been discharged from hospitals or care services.
SUICIDE RISK FACTORS
PROTECTIVE FACTORS
(Source: Beyond Blue)
STATISTICS
(Source: CDC)
Access more suicide statistics from the CDC's website.
LGBTQ SUICIDE PREVENTION RESOURCES
In addition to resources listed on this page, LGBTQ specific resources are as follows:
- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) LGBTQ Mental Health & Suicide Prevention web page.
- LGBT National Hotline - 888-843-4564
- The LGBT National Hotline is staffed by highly trained volunteers who identify somewhere on the LGBTQ spectrum, from all ages, walks of life and from all over the United States.
- SAGE - 877-360-LGBT(5428)
- Advocacy Services for LGBTQ+ Elders
- TRANS Lifeline - 1-877-565-8860
- Support FOR transgender people, BY transgender people
- The Trevor Project – 1-866-488-7386 or text START to 678678
- Providing information & support to LGBTQ young people 24/7, all year round.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
- Georgia Crisis and Access Line (GCAL) – 1-800-715-4225
Help is available 24/7 for individuals struggling with issues like depression, anxiety, other mental health conditions, problems with developmental disabilities, mental health, addiction drugs, and alcohol. Download the MyGCAL app (Apple and Android) to call, text, or chat with GCAL.
- Text HOME to 741741 to reach a Crisis Counselor
- Your opening message can say anything. Keywords like “HOME,” “START” and “HELLO” just help us identify how people hear about us.
Para recursos en español, por favor haga clic aquí.
COLLABORATIVE RESOURCES AND EXTERNAL LINKS
- Cobb Collaborative Suicide Awareness and Prevention toolkit
- Cobb Collaborative Mental Health Resource Toolkits web page
- Cobb Collaborative's Mind Your Mind mental health initiative web page
- Cobb Collaborative's Mind Your Mind Speaks Podcast
- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention - Georgia Chapter
- Be the One - 5 steps to help prevent suicide
- CDC Suicide Prevention page
- CDC's "What Is Suicide?" Video
- DBHDD Suicide Prevention Resources
- NAMI - National Alliance on Mental Illness
- National Suicide Prevention website
- The SAM Foundation
- Self-Discovery: Pain, Positioning & Purpose, Inc. (SDp3)
EVENTS AND CURRICULUM
In partnership with the SAM Foundation, Cobb Collaborative offers training opportunities for suicide prevention.
QPR - Question.Persuade.Refer- Training
This training helps people:
- Recognize the warning signs of suicide
- How to talk with someone who may be at risk for suicide and persuade them to get help
- Refer at-risk individuals to appropriate resources for help
ASIST - Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) is a two-day interactive workshop in suicide first aid. ASIST teaches participants to recognize when someone may have thoughts of suicide and work with them to create a plan that will support their immediate safety. Although ASIST is widely used by healthcare providers, participants don’t need any formal training to attend the workshop— anyone 16 or older can learn and use the ASIST model.
During this workshop, participants will learn how to prevent suicide by recognizing signs, providing a skilled intervention, and developing a safety plan to keep someone alive. You must attend both days in order to complete the training.
Please visit our Events page to register for these events. If your organization is interested in hosting a QPR and/or ASIST training event, please contact Cobb Collaborative Executive Director at IBarton@cobbcollaborative.org
Community Resiliency Model (CRM)®
In partnership with the Trauma Resource Institute with support by grant funding from Resilient Georgia, Cobb Collaborative presents Community Resiliency Model (CRM)® training events regularly.
The Community Resiliency Model (CRM)® trains community members to not only help themselves but to help others within their wider social network. The primary focus of this skills-based, stabilization program is to re-set the natural balance of the nervous system.
CRM®'s goal is to help to create “trauma-informed” and “resiliency-focused” communities that share a common understanding of the impact of trauma and chronic stress on the nervous system and how resiliency can be restored or increased using this skills-based approach.
Please visit our Events page to register for CRM® training events. If your organization would like to host a CRM® training, please contact Cobb Collaborative Programs Director Kaleigh Raulerson at KRaulerson@cobbcollaborative.org