By LOIS KINDLE
According to the CDC’s latest available statistics, someone in the United States died by suicide every 11 minutes in 2022. It’s one of the country’s leading causes of death.
That year, 13.2 million Americans seriously thought about suicide, 3.8 million actually made a plan to go through with it and 1.6 million actually attempted it. Sadly, more than 49,000 individuals went through with it.
Every September, Suicide Prevention Awareness Month is observed to change public perception about the epidemic and build awareness that help is available and no one needs face the crisis alone.
Crisis Center of Tampa Bay intervention specialist Liz Watson answers calls to 988, the National Crisis and Suicide Lifeline, and calmly assesses callers in crisis to get them to a place of safety and provide support, if requested.
“We have a variety of ways we can help support you, a family member or friend in any type of mental health crisis,” said Clara Reynolds, president and CEO of the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay. “From our Gateway Contact Center, we answer a variety of phone lines 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but, obviously, one of the most important ones is 988, the National Crisis and Suicide Lifeline.
“If you, a friend or loved one is in crisis and don’t know where to turn, please know you [or they] can call 988,” she continued. “If you are a first responder or veteran in crisis, we have trained-veteran and first-responder peers on staff available to talk with you in your moment of need. No matter what’s going on, no matter how you’re feeling, please know you never have to face a crisis alone.”
Reynolds noted 98% of the time, the crisis center is able to get folks who call 988 to a place of safety by assessing their risk through the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale, which is highly conversational in nature. At the end of the call, those who ask for support (about 50%) are provided telephonic support for three to six weeks (and more, if needed) and/or referrals to a therapist, support group or other self-care group.
Many factors contribute to suicide risk – individual (substance use, serious illness or chronic pain, job loss/financial problems, sense of hopelessness and more); relationship (bullying, loss of relationships, abuse and violence, social isolation and family history of suicide); community (lack of access to healthcare, community violence; discrimination); and societal (the stigma associated with seeking help and mental illness, easy access to lethal means of self-harm).
CRISIS CENTER OF TAMPA BAY PHOTOS
Clara Reynolds, president and CEO of the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, is seen here at its Gateway Contact Center, where anyone in crisis or contemplating suicide is urged to call 24/7/365 for support. The number is 988.
Death by suicide spans people of all ages. Seniors 75 to 85 and older have the highest percentages of folks who take their own lives, and it’s the leading cause of death for children ages 10 to 17.
This means anyone you know could be contemplating suicide – your child, your parents, an elderly neighbor, co-worker or friend. That’s why heightened awareness is so important when a person is struggling and to have the ability to recognize their struggle without judgement.
Many of us are ill-equipped to calmly lift someone safely from moments of despair, but the highly trained professionals at the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay are. They’re available all day every day by calling 988.
For more information, visit https://www.crisiscenter.com/, https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/, https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/.
