September is suicide prevention month, which is an important topic of conversation for our office due to our mission to help those navigating life’s challenges. Recent statistics by the CDC show 13.1 million adults have had serious thoughts about suicide, 3.8 million made a plan for suicide, and 1.6 million made attempts with their plan.
A few warning signs of suicide can include an individual talking about wanting to end their life or no longer wanting to live anymore. Expressing feelings of emptiness and hopelessness, as well not recognizing a reason or purpose to live. The individual may also start to withdraw from family and friends. There are risk factors for suicide which include depression, substance abuse/misuse, chronic pain, exposure to violence and/or abuse, as well as a family history of suicide or previous history of suicide attempts by the individual.
*If you know anyone in crisis call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
*Call 911 in life-threatening situations.
There have been effective interventions, including brief and long term, that can be utilized with individuals suffering from suicidal ideation (SI). Suicidal ideation is where you engage with thoughts about suicide or have thoughts about how things would be better if you were not living anymore. The National Institute of Health found in 2022, having therapeutic interventions can lead to reduction in suicidal outcomes, specifically 55% in SI and 37.5% in suicide attempts. A few of these effective interventions include safety planning, follow up phone calls, psychotherapies (CBT, DBT), and medication management. Collaborative care is shown to be the most effective approach with individuals suffering with suicidal ideation.
Call our office at 859.338.0466 to schedule an appointment with one of our providers to help navigate your mental health healing journey. Our current offices are located in Lexington, Frankfort, and Richmond, KY. We have been trusted mental health professionals in Central Kentucky for over 22 years!
Supporting Articles:
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/suicide-prevention
https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/index.html
https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/suicide-prevention
