Suicide Awareness Month
Suicide Awareness Month is a time when we remember those we have lost to suicide, bring awareness to the reduction of stigma, and remind people that healing and recovery are possible. For those of us working in the addiction treatment world, suicide awareness and prevention are deeply important.
Substance use, trauma, grief, shame, isolation, mental health challenges, and hopelessness can intersect in complicated ways. Someone struggling with a substance use disorder may not always say, “I am suicidal.” Sometimes distress shows up differently for each individual. These signs can include pulling away from loved ones, giving away personal items, unexpectedly bidding farewell, escalating drug or alcohol use, engaging in risky activities, or displaying drastic shifts in emotional state and conduct.
Among our most meaningful actions is maintaining an open readiness to engage in dialogue. In the field of addiction recovery, resolving every challenge within a single encounter is not expected. We are not required to instantly erase a person's suffering. Frequently, the most compassionate support we can provide is pausing, offering our full attention, and validating their experience without imposing judgment. Inquiring openly about suicidal thoughts will not introduce the concept to an individual. Rather, it offers a vital opening for a person quietly bearing their burden to at last share what they are enduring.
I have weekly, sometimes daily, conversations with clients who are nervous or scared to talk about their racing thoughts and/or the voices that are telling them that no one loves them and they would be better off dead. The conversation almost always moves toward reassurance that they will not be sent for a mental health evaluation or “locked up”; rather, we just want to make sure that they are as safe as possible, have the support they are deserving of, and know that they are wanted. Safety plans and suicide severity ratings are second nature for the counselors that I supervise. The difficult part is not to panic because that is what we want to do.
Panic! The reality of having someone talk about wanting to die, harm themselves, never wake up, or develop a thoughtful plan of how to end their lives is scary. What must we do? We listen. We hear them as they share their pain with us. And we listen. We don't rush to fill the silence. We don't minimize the person's experience, and we don't immediately try to convince them that everything will be okay. We offer empathy and compassion and understanding. We offer hope.
In the realm of addiction treatment, true healing extends far beyond setting aside drug or alcohol use. It centers on guiding individuals to construct meaningful connections, embrace healthy coping methods, reclaim their sense of purpose, mend broken bonds, and realize that a restored, hopeful life is truly achievable. During early recovery, individuals frequently encounter intense emotional distress that resurfaces suddenly. People often rely on substances to suppress underlying grief, trauma, shame, or severe mental health struggles; once those chemical defenses are gone, those agonizing feelings emerge with overwhelming clarity.
Utilizing a person-centered approach can help to increase the awareness of personal motivations that can be used in both substance use recovery and suicide prevention. Inquiring with intention and asking, “How are you feeling today? What keeps you grounded in your desire to grow? Who stands beside you in your recovery, and what helps you maintain that vital connection?” fuels the
ongoing healing journey while nurturing deep, lasting bonds.
Preventing suicide extends far beyond the duties of mental health specialists. It calls upon every one of us. It occurs when a clinician observes subtle shifts in a client's typical demeanor. It occurs when a friend purposefully reaches out to show they care. It occurs when loved ones offer an attentive ear free of judgment. It occurs when a provider finds the courage to inquire directly about pain. It occurs when an individual in healing understands they need not endure another agonizing day by themselves.
While we may never fully grasp the heavy burden another carries, we can ensure they never carry it in isolation.
Throughout this September, let us keep in mind that suicide awareness goes deeper than merely managing acute moments of distress. It centers on nurturing meaningful bonds long before panic takes root. It centers on offering compassion and light when a person feels utterly lost in darkness. It centers on reassuring individuals that their journey continues and a restored life remains achievable.
Reach out. Pause and listen. Ask with intention. Nurture bonds. Offer compassion.
One brief, caring dialogue can provide the vital opening that encourages a person to remain and choose life.
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