Talk About Suicide

Because it actually helps. Today is 988 Day, a national effort to raise awareness of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline during Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. It's also a good moment to say something plainly that a lot of people still get backwards: bringing up suicide with someone you're worried about doesn't plant the idea in their head. The research on this is solid, consistent, and it strongly suggests the opposite is true.

What I Learned as a Student

When I was training as a psychology student, I was nervous to ask clients directly about suicidality. I worried that saying the word out loud might tip someone over an edge they hadn't reached yet. My professors told me that fear was wrong, and 15+ years into this work, my own clinical observations have confirmed they were right every time. Naming the thing someone is afraid to say themselves doesn't create the danger; it takes away the isolation around it. I tell my own students the same thing now, asking the question doesn't magically make things worse in someone's mind. It usually does the opposite.

988 Is Worth Trying, and Worth Fighting For

988 isn't just a number you call. You can call it, text it, or go to their website and use the chatbot feature, whichever way someone's actually willing to reach out. I've seen countless clients use it, and I've tested the text feature myself just to see how it functions before recommending it to people. It's also free, and either you or your parents already paid for it with your tax dollars, so try it out yourself before you ever need it in a real moment. One thing that's stayed with me was working with a queer kid and connecting them to the LGBTQ-specific option on the line, known as "Press 3," and watching how much it mattered to reach someone trained specifically for what they were carrying. That option was actually shut down by the Trump administration last summer, cited as a funding decision, but advocates pushed back hard, and this past June the administration announced it's restoring it. That reversal is a reminder that showing up and fighting for something you believe in can actually move this government to listen.

A Word About Hospitalization

People often avoid the conversation because they're afraid of where it leads, straight to a psychiatric hospital against their will. That's not usually how it goes, and having done clinical work inside psychiatric hospitals myself, I can say plainly that hospitalization isn't the disaster people imagine. It's treatment delivered by people trained to help someone stabilize. If you're worried about someone, or about yourself, talk to a therapist. The conversation is the safe move, not the risky one.

If You Don't Struggle With This Yourself

If suicidality isn't something you personally wrestle with, great! And now be ready to hold space for someone who does. Asking the question is good, but be prepared for an answer that might be uncomfortable to hear. You don't have to fix anything in that moment. Just listen. That's actually one of the core reasons talk therapy works in the first place: someone gets to say the intense thing out loud instead of carrying it silently, and being heard changes something on its own. If you're carrying something you haven't said out loud yet, I'd welcome the conversation. You can book a consultation with me directly using the form below. And if you or someone you know is in crisis right now, call or text 988 anytime.