Suicide Prevention and Awareness: Hope for the Journey
Important to note: While Ready to Hope is run by a trained mental health counselor and our mission is to normalize the conversation surrounding mental wellness, these posts are not intended to be a substitute for seeking professional help. If you or a loved one is in immediate or imminent danger of self harm, please go to the ER, connect with your therapist or medical doctor, or call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
All of this month has been about honoring Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month. While our workshops and events and clubs focus on simply normalizing the conversation surrounding mental wellness, of course we want to be a part of moving forward the incredibly important agenda of suicide prevention!
So far in our posts we’ve talked about warning signs, action steps, and resources.
Today we turn our message to hope in the darkness.
Our motto is “there is always a way through” and we believe that wholeheartedly.
So today we just want to highlight a couple of our favorite resources that are focusing on hope and light even in the middle of talking about the difficult subject of suicide.
Before we share those resources though, we want to remind you of one thing: interventions and support work.
For example, there is an organization called Bridgewatch Angels, the purpose of which is to provide volunteers to essentially police the Golden Gate Bridge. They are just one of a handful of groups devoted to physically being present in order to prevent suicides at the bridge. And in 2013 alone, 118 potential jumpers were talked down safely.
For all the stories we hear and see about suicide, it is important to remember there is hope.
The more we can talk about it, the more we can discuss warning signs and action steps, and the more we can simply prioritize talking about hard feelings long before they become suicidal thoughts- the more lives we can save. And the more we can help others live authentic, fulfilling, even joyful lives- and do so ourselves!
Let’s look at some of the other organizations doing incredible work.
Hope for the Day is devoted to suicide prevention, but focuses on preventing suicide by connecting individuals with resources, outreach, community, and education. They call their mission “proactive prevention,” or essentially trying to head off suicide by preventing those who struggle from ever becoming suicidal.
Full disclosure: I first learned of To Write Love On Her Arms at a music festival, and so they have a special place in my heart, as the gift of connecting with those there representing TWLOHA just were some really beautiful souls.
Their mission statement states:
“To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire, and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery.”
So as you can see, they are doing good work!
In addition, their store is filled with mental wellness and suicide prevention and awareness merch from hoodies to books to bags! You have to check them out!
TWLOHA also has The Hopeful App, an app devoted to self-care via daily journaling, encouragement, and other activities. It’s available wherever you find your apps!
Finally: Ready to Hope
You know we can’t sign off on Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month without once again inviting you to participate in our offerings!
Ready to Hope is devoted to spreading a message of normalizing the conversations surrounding mental wellness.
In other words: we know that when you have a supportive community where you can just be you, whatever that means on any given day, and talk about it when you’re having a hard day or stressed or anxious or sad for any reason- then you are that much more likely to feel supported and cared for.
We want to do all we can to prevent any young adult from ever feeling difficult feelings- and having no one to talk to about it.
We serve young adults through workshops, clubs, presentations, events, and even through supporting their parents.
Find out more about our Carmel High School Club here.
Find out more about workshops here.
Find out more about our parent group on Facebook below!
Follow us on social to stay up to date on all the happenings and just find inspiration!
And of course you can ALWAYS reach out to us on email! We want to hear from you.
Until next time, remember you are loved, you are important, your presence matters here, and there is always a way through.