Suicide Prevention & Awareness with Stephanie Steele of BCMHC

September is Suicide Prevention Month.

So I'm hoping to get some insight from you on warning signs, protective factors, and just in general how to talk to individuals who may be struggling with suicidal thoughts.

So one of the things I love about this area is the sense of community.

So what are some ways that people in the community can contribute to making people feel welcome and address mental health?

Yeah, I think as cliche as it sounds, just kind of listening to where they're at without any judgment.

You know, we all have difficult times that we go through.

We all have different seasons of life and sometimes seasons are really good and joyful and then other times seasons are hard and it's okay.

As far as some warning signs that we really look for, as easy as it is when we get overwhelmed and want to isolate, it's one of the worst things we can do for ourselves is to isolate.

So I tell clients all the time, like, if you really want to isolate, that's probably when you need to reach out to somebody.

You know, people giving away their possessions, their overall mood just changing and being more reserved and kind of quiet.

We also see some people tend to act out more as well.

They might get more aggressive, more volatile, and that's typically not in their nature.

One of the protective factors is community and a sense of community and belonging.

I think that's really important because throughout life, you know, our sense of belonging really does matter.

It matters when we're, you know, in kindergarten and making friends for the first time.

And it matters when we're in adulthood and life gets hard too.

As you enter in the workforce and you build a career, it's important.

If you're becoming a parent, having, you know, a community of people that have raised children before you to help you through that.

I think the idea that we have to be okay all the time is a lie that a lot of us believe and we don't necessarily need to believe that.