We Can #StopSuicide

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World Suicide Prevention Day Facebook Live

World Suicide Prevention Day Facebook Live

Save the Date

World Suicide Prevention Day

If you think someone is struggling, TRUST YOUR GUT

Asking someone directly if they're thinking about suicide won't "put the idea in their head"

It's okay to ask someone if they're thinking about suicide

Learn the warning signs to #StopSuicide

#RealConvo

Let's create a world without suicide - Alyse Ruriani

Let's create a world without suicide

You know someone affected by suicide

You are not alone

Did you know?

You are not alone

Suicide stops here

Reaching out for support takes strength

Buscar apoyo requiere fortaleza

Even the strongest people need support sometimes

Incluso las personas más fuertes a veces necesitan ayuda

Don't underestimate the value of a #RealConvo

No subestimes el poder de una conversación honesta

We all need support sometimes

Todxs necesitamos apoyo en algún momento

We all deserve to feel heard

Todxs merecemos sentirnos eschuchadxs

Everyone can have a #RealConvo. You got this.

Todxs podemos tener una conversación franca. Tu puedes.

Together We Can help Stop Suicide photo mosaic

What matters most is that you simply walk with them through this valley, and that you never, never, never give up.

Rather than asking me how my father died or why he "chose" to do it, I wish people would ask me how my father lived. Ask me his name. Ask me what kind of person he was.

Everyone grieves differently. It is not unusual for people within the same family to have different coping styles after a suicide death.

For Mental Health Awareness Month, we’ve been encouraging people to have a #RealConvo about mental health.

Comedian Gary Gulman talks about the importance of having a #RealConvo, and reaching out for help when you need it.

The responsibility lies with all of us to pay attention to who used to be around the table, and who isn’t any longer.

"The conversation I had dreaded the most, ended up being the most beautiful moment with my precious son yet."

The following is an abridged version of an article comedian Chris Gethard wrote following the premiere of his acclaimed HBO special Career Suicide. The original article can be found here.

There aren’t easy answers to this question, and this is mainly due to the complexity of suicide, the lack of complete data, the varying impacts of the pandemic, and the dynamic relationship between mental health, life stressors and suicide risk.

By working together, gaining increased understanding, and encouraging the widespread application of proven strategies, we can save lives.

I got involved with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in 2011 after I lost my dad to suicide. At first, I didn’t use the word suicide when I was telling people that my dad had passed away. But shortly after that, I realized there’s nothing to be ashamed of.

Grief is not linear. Everyone experiences grief differently. Grief moves at its own pace.

Grief can be messy. If you are experiencing grief right now, here are some things you might remind yourself.

There is help available for those who are suffering and for those who have lost a loved one to suicide. It’s okay not to be okay.

Conversations about race and racism leave many parents feeling ill-prepared. Such conversations are rarely easy, but are important. Below are six tips on how to talk to kids about race and mental health in ways that empower both you and your child.

As a result of the dedication and perseverance of local field advocates, AFSP has become a lead voice in Oregon’s suicide prevention efforts statewide and played a large role in the enactment of several mental health and suicide prevention laws over the last three years.

As a way of getting myself out of my funk – and inspired by AFSP’s amazing volunteers – I decided to get more involved with my local chapter. I am a proud member of the LGBTQ community, and have a strong interest in expanding access to mental health and suicide prevention resources for others in the LGBTQ community.

How a suicide loss in the LGBTQ community is handled can set the tone for the public’s response. You might hear, “They died by suicide because they were transgender.” Too often, explanations about a suicide death are reduced to a person’s sexual orientation and/or gender identity. However, suicide is far more complex.

My brother Grant was to arrive in Denver on Wednesday, August 27th to visit me. But two days earlier, he died by suicide.

Years ago, I knew a young woman who was thinking about taking her own life. I sensed something was wrong, just by observing small mannerisms and her overall behavior. Something had changed.

I’m crying again. I am crying because of the time I lost with you, and I’m crying because of the time I spent with you when I knew you were in pain.  I know you don’t want to make me cry. I know you cried enough for both of us.

One of the main challenges my clients experience is the stigma of seeking mental health services. This stigma is rooted in our Latinx/Hispanic family values, and comes from a belief that is necessary to keep our problems within the family.

Hopefully these tips can empower you to have a #RealConvo, and be a helpful canvas to the people in your life.

As difficult as it was to go through all of this, the hardest part was admitting I needed help. Reaching out for help was one of the scariest things I’ve ever had to do, but I knew it had to be done.

Many of us who communicate via text have gotten that message from a friend: whether it says, “I’m feeling lost,” or, “I need help,” or, “I don’t know what to do,” we know what it feels like to receive a message from a friend in some kind of crisis.

She knew my mom had died. I just hadn’t told her how, yet.

Gizmo offers guidance to children on how to recognize and cope with sad, mad and worried feelings and related behaviors, and makes managing their mental health – and knowing how and when to reach out to a trusted adult for further support – a simple, non-scary part of their everyday life.

Traditionally, we men are awful at talking about our overall emotional well-being, and feelings in general. We’re “good,” we generally reply when asked. We’re “fine.” Even though, according to the latest available numbers, men die by suicide 3.63 times more often than women. 70% of all suicides are men.

Our faith leaders can play a pivotal role, if we are to move the needle on improving mental wellness in the African American community.

Our chapters more than met the challenge to #KeepGoing in making our education programs available throughout the pandemic. Despite the outbreak of COVID-19, we quickly adapted our education programs from in-person to virtual presentations, ensuring that we are still creating a culture that is smart about mental health.

AFSP was founded as a research organization dedicated to exploring how to save lives. Over 30 years later, we remain the largest private funder of suicide prevention research, shaping suicide prevention strategies around the world.

People in need of help are not always ready to connect to mental health services. AFSP’s Interactive Screening Program (ISP) provides individual members of school and workplace communities with a safe and anonymous way to connect with the resources and support they need.

Thanks to the hard work of our volunteers and staff, this past year we saw the successful passage of five federal bills and 27 state bills in support of our top public policy priorities.

Using data that specify who we are losing to suicide and how we are losing them, AFSP’s board of expert advisors has honed a comprehensive plan to save lives.

This year, following the outbreak of COVID-19, our amazing volunteers and staff were determined to stay connected to one another. Our participants came #TogetherToFightSuicide as we transformed the remaining Walks into a variety of physically distanced creative activities known as Out of the Darkness Experiences.

Asking Reduces Risk

Asking about Suicide in Healthcare Settings

How Parents Can Talk to Kids about Suicide

Don't Be Afraid to Ask

Are You Okay?