By James Maroney
State Sen., D-14
James Maroney.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for individuals ages 10 to 34 in the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is the tenth leading cause of death. Every year, more people think about or attempt suicide than die by suicide. I am making it my job to raise awareness for suicide prevention.
Whether you have struggled yourself or lost someone you love to suicide, you are not alone. Times have been hard these past few months and there may be extra stress added onto your plate, but there are resources available. The impact of the pandemic on your mental health can lead to feelings of hopelessness which could then lead to suicidal thoughts; but identifying and understanding protective factors are equally as important as these risk factors.
I am planning to hold a suicide prevention policy summit with the Alvin Tran, assistant professor in the Department of Health at the University of New Haven. We want to follow up on the summit that was held last year with the goal of involving the leaders we have at our many great higher education institutions in policymaking. The other goal is to bring together various agencies that are working on suicide prevention to help coordinate our activities by continuing to figure out ways to prevent suicide.
There is hope and there is help. I am working alongside experts to find ways to publicize resources and strengthen cyberbullying consequences. Everybody needs to know there is help and they are not alone.
Connecticut has a plan to reduce suicide. The state’s Suicide Prevention Task Force has compiled a list of warning signs that can help you identify if someone is at risk of taking their own life. Warning signs include: threatening to hurt or kill himself/herself, talking of wanting to hurt or kill himself/herself, looking for ways to kill himself/herself, talking or writing about death, increased substance use, no reason for living, anxiety, agitation, inability to sleep, withdrawal from friends, family and society, rage, acting reckless or engaging in risky activities or dramatic mood changes.
If you know someone who exhibits warning signs of suicide, do not leave that person alone and remove any objects that can be used in a suicide attempt. Take the person to an emergency room or seek help from a medical or mental health professional. For more information, you can visit portal.ct.gov/DCF/CTSuicideAdvisoryBoard/Home.
The US Department of Veterans Affairs has done a wonderful job compiling resources to help veterans and their families. For more information on suicide prevention and awareness, you can visit mentalhealth.va.gov/index.as for resources. You can also get help right via a free mobile app that allows veterans and residents to access assistance by phone. For more information about the app, visit portal.ct.gov/DVA/Pages/CTVeterans-Mobile-App.
If you are feeling any sense of hopelessness or suicidal, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255. You can also call the emergency line 2-1-1 if you or somebody you know is experiencing a crisis. Help is available 24/7.