September is National Suicide Prevention Month. If you or someone you love is struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can talk to a live person by calling the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255. Even though it may feel like it, you are not alone.
Before COVID-19, people in hazmat suits, state of emergency lock downs, and social isolation were concepts reserved for movies and far away places. Collectively, we draw our support from our community, friends, and families. Overnight, COVID-19 made it unsafe for many of us to stay meaningfully connected to the ones we love, leaving millions of people to go through this pandemic alone. Without a support system, people experience higher rates of physical and mental illness and overall wellbeing decreases. Add a pre-existing condition such as anxiety and depression to the already immense stress of the situation, the burden of this pandemic gets even greater.
These services are available to anyone in our community that needs them, especially those struggling with increased depression, anxiety, and suicidality. During this crisis, VAYA Health has agreed to refer to all mental health and developmental disability services, even for those agencies they do not manage. Their phone number is (800) 849-6127. You can also access this information, and a list of virtual peer support and recovery meetings, by calling 211.