Those struggling with their mental health have a new tool.
9-8-8
You can call or text the number, and you’ll be connected with trained counselors that can help you. These individuals are already part of the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline network. These empathetic people will listen to life’s problems, support, and connect someone to resources as needed. In addition, there are over 200 crisis centers nationwide.
If only such a tool existed when I was a teen. I attempted suicide several times in my teen years as I fought my sexuality, and sadly, only close friends noticed. They are the ones that connected me with guidance counselors in our local school to help me through such a trying time. And as an adult, I look back and see those close calls.
I’m unsure how you came across this article. Social media, random internet scrolling – it doesn’t matter.
Please reach out if you’re experiencing emotional distress or suicidal thoughts or plans. 988 doesn’t judge you. It doesn’t put you on hold with bad elevator music. There’s no busy signal. Instead, you will have access to the help that you need. The singular goal of this new number is to simplify calling for help. In fact, $400 million has been invested in increasing resources for mental health services.
Before, many people turned to dial 911 for assistance, which usually did not end well. While suicidal thoughts are an emergency, 911 wasn’t designed for mental health issues. Most people were taken to an emergency room. Others receive a visit from law enforcement. After a sexual assault as an adult, I called my victim’s advocate with suicidal ideation. The next thing I know, a tall, foreboding male officer is pounding my front door. I’d been violated once, and this traumatized me even further. I never reached out to that advocate again, regardless of if she was just “doing her job,” because my trust had been eroded.
In fact, 1 in 5 police shootings involved someone with a mental illness. So when you call or text 988, these are trained mental health professionals you can trust.
988 is a game changer. The idea for 988 isn’t new. It’s been in process for several years. In 2020, President Trump signed a bipartisan bill to create this number.
My father passed away at the young age of 43 due to suicide. I can only think of if this resource had been available to him during his lifetime. So, suicide prevention, as well as awareness, is very personal to me.
The current Lifeline phone number of 1-800-273-8255 will remain available, even as 988 is launched on a national scale.
So share the number with your friends and your family. You never know who could be struggling, whether silently or not. There’s an old adage that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. So please, don’t let your light or the lights of those you love go out. The world can be a dark place, and we need y’all to shine as brightly as you can.
Featured image via “Suicide Awareness” by frizzetta / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
