National Suicide Prevention Month: Resources, support provide help — and hope

EDITOR'S NOTE: This column discusses suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org.

We have changed the way we talk about suicide.

We no longer say “committed suicide.” That’s assigning blame to someone who is so helpless and hopeless they can see no other way out. Rather, we say a person “died by suicide.”

Bringing awareness to suicide, the resources that are available and how to help someone with suicidal ideation are the focus of National Suicide Prevention Month each September, sponsored by organizations such as the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (ASFP.org) and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI.org).

And we have to pay attention, because there’s been a significant increase in suicide deaths nationwide, nearly 50,000 in 2024, according to preliminary data. In Illinois, there were about 1,500 suicide deaths in 2022, which is 1,500 too many.

Unfortunately, you can see suicide attempts in every demographic, from the most successful business executive to an 8-year-old girl. In the U.S. in 2024, suicide was the second leading cause of death among ages 10-14 and 25-34, and the fourth among ages 35-44.

People 85 and older, often isolated, alone and despairing, have the highest rate of suicide death because more of their attempts are successful and they’re less likely to recover from an attempt.

The problem is growing, so it makes sense for everyone to be familiar how you may be able to help someone with suicidal ideation, which basically means they’ve not only thought about taking their own lives but have a plan to attempt that most final act of hopelessness and helplessness.

People who are suffering may not know there are places they can go and trained, responsible people they can talk to. Rather, they turn to strangers and anonymous websites (ChatGPT even has an AI therapist named “Harry”) to seek out support because it’s hard to talk about this to loved ones.

Here are some of my recommendations:

It’s important to realize how prevalent suicidal ideation is and how it is affected by substance use and access to potentially lethal means such as firearms, medications and household knives. Anyone in your life who has said “everyone would be better off without me” or “I’m so miserable, I want to die” has to be taken seriously. Listen to them. We can never be certain which cry for help will be the final cry for help.

I would always recommend that we take them to a mental health provider or hospital for assessment. A therapist will ask how long they’ve had these thoughts and whether they have a plan. Someone with specific thoughts about how they would carry out a plan may need to be hospitalized for their own safety.

That said, someone may be suffering from depression, but they don’t have the words to talk about it, so they say they’re thinking about “ending it all.” A trained therapist or psychiatrist can help explore what they really mean, and a psychiatrist will be able to prescribe medication to address symptoms of clinical depression.

There are more resources than ever to help someone with thoughts of suicide. The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, 988, is available 24/7 via phone and text, and is improving year after year. It is staffed by trained professionals who can direct a caller to a location in their area where they can go for help. If someone is in imminent danger, they are able to summon the police.

If you’re trying to help a friend or loved one struggling with suicidal thoughts or other mental health challenges, 988 is also a good starting place.

There are helplines for LBGTQ+ individuals and veterans. Those can be found on AFSP.org, along with how to connect to different resources, discussion guides and recommendations for mental health care for minority communities.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention holds an annual “Out of the Darkness” walk to raise awareness and funding, which is a good opportunity to connect with resources. This year’s Chicago-area walk will be Sept. 27 at Montrose Harbor, with a check-in time at 9 a.m. and event start at 10:30 a.m. For information, contact Diana Cazares at (312) 802-9714 or chicago@afsp.org.

If you know somebody who you feel is struggling, pay attention to them. If you’re feeling that way, get help. There’s always somebody to listen.

• Bonnie Lane, M.S., is principal consultant with Family Support Services in Northbrook, specializing in supporting families whose loved ones suffer from severe mental illness or substance addiction. Daily Herald readers can contact her at (847) 651-1554 or bonnielane@thefamilysupportservices.com.