With the first couple days of class well underway, an important health-centered day is just around the corner. World Suicide Prevention Day is Tuesday, September 10th. On the 9th, the Wellness Center’s Healthy Monday table outside the caf will be supplied with information relevant to prevention day (along with more motivational quotes) to help raise awareness.

There aren’t many people out there who would honestly say that college (or life in general) is easy; tough classes, bad grades, relationship problems, issues with friends or family, depression, and anxiety are all problems that occur in life at some point or another to varying degrees. While all of these problems are temporary and can be managed in their own ways, the way out that some people choose is decidedly final.

Suicide is an understandably troubling topic, with some troubling statistics. Annually, 9.3 million people experience thoughts of suicide, and an average of 1 person dies by suicide every 12 minutes, making suicide a leading cause of death in the United States, especially from the ages of 15 to 24. However, this doesn’t necessarily have to be the case or the status quo. Like many things, suicide is almost entirely preventable if the right steps are taken, or even if the right options are made available.

If you’re having thoughts of suicide, what can you do? Talk to someone you trust. Find a close friend, family member, call a suicide prevention hotline (National Suicide Prevention Lifeline phone number: (800) 237-8255), and/or make an appointment at the Wellness Center.

What can you do if you think someone you know is considering suicide? Help them get the help they need through the resources above, and listen to what they have to say. If you’re the friend or family member they turn to for support, listen and talk openly.

What if you don’t fit into either of these categories? You can still help by raising awareness and educating yourself and others. Above anything else, the big takeaway is that you are never alone, and the support you need is all around you.  Help is here, and there is always hope.

Statistics and info cited from: www.contactsyracuse.org and www.onondagasuicideprevention.com