September is officially “Suicide Prevention Awareness” month. Celebrate being aware of mental health by checking up with yourself! How’ve you been feeling girl? I hope you’re feeling ecstatic today, though we all know that’s not always the case. We all have bad days. Sometimes bad weeks, sometimes bad months–even a bad year. Bad years. It’s important to know your options on those days where it gets too much to handle.
Suicide & Crisis Hotlines
Hotlines can be intimidating simply because of the name. Please remember that “crisis” is also in the name. Seriously, just because you’re not standing over your sink with mascara running down your face and a pencil blade at your wrist, doesn’t mean you should stay silent. These hotlines are available to you 24/7. If you’re losing your mind because relationships, school, work, family–Call. No issue is too small, and nothing is too big for you to handle. Some of the advice might not be valid but hey, at least you get to talk yourself out without straining a friendship. Hotlines are good for freak-outs or those late-night times you can’t get in touch with anyone else.
School Counselors
Counselors are a step up from hotlines, and are more discreet at this age than professional help. All universities provide free appointments with these counselors and I highly suggest you take advantage of them if you are in a position where you would do better on a schedule. At student counseling you can talk about what’s going on with a graduate who has a background in psychology and mental health.
Professional Therapists
There are a lot of outside-of-school options in Hattiesburg.
Wesley Medical could help you out as well, in case you feel like Pine Grove isn’t your thing.
When it comes to therapy, you’ll have to check with your insurance. You are always welcome to call the number on your insurance card to see what they cover, but more than likely you’ll have to do something through your parents. This is where it gets hard. You’ll have to reach out to your parents for help. Therapists are able to recommend medication to a physician, and psychiatrists are able to write one for you, themselves, if that is what would best for you. Some companies will offer their employees, or members of their families, a number of free and discreet therapy visits. One or both of your parents may qualify; the catch here is that you’ll have to reach out to them for help. You can do it, though. It’s your head, your mind, and really important for you.
Suicide is very real and it’s fairly normal to wonder about it. If you find yourself wondering about it daily, fantasizing about a note, or making a plan, PLEASE reach out to at least one of the options I have listed. Suicide effects everyone around you.
I had an old classmate walk over 3 miles through the rain, to the local park, and shoot himself. I remember exactly what I was doing that night and even now the rain will remind me of him, and I still have notes he wrote me in my freshman history binder. I couldn’t imagine what his family still feels, even now, everyday. It’s been years, but he was their child; their son. He hadn’t even turned 20, but killed himself over the very real stress of being in your late teens. How different are you now than you were 5 years ago? Yeah. You’re going to continue to change that drastically throughout your 20’s. Enjoy.
Life changes every day, dear reader. Get the help you need and keep looking forward.