‘Beyond the Reasons’ by Rachel Papke
The Netflix series ’13 Reasons Why’ has sparked a national conversation about suicide. We see this happen a lot when there’s a big, juicy story to tell that strikes a controversial cord. But here’s my opinion: These conversations need to extend beyond the short lifespan of a big story or a popular movie or series. Whether you know it or not, there are people and organizations working tirelessly year-round to bring suicide prevention into the light. When will those efforts take the spotlight? It’s their work that should be our focus, that we should support and reference throughout the year to have meaningful conversations about mental health and suicide prevention. Suicide prevention efforts exist, persist, and extend far beyond the ’13 Reasons Why.’
What can you do? Engage in conversations with each other, your children, your communities, and beyond. Suicide is a major public health concern, and we need to always have conversations using safe messaging, supporting help-seeking behavior. Here are links to help you start that conversation. Please take the time to educate yourself. Then, start the conversation utilizing these resources to help you. Please share these resources with your network to help keep the conversation going in a safe way that promotes mental health and prevents suicide.
Ask your child, “How are you feeling?” Maybe they’re embarrassed to share their thoughts with others. Or, they’ve tried talking about it, but don’t feel anyone listened or understood. There are friends, family members, counselors, and therapists available that want to help and are ready to listen.
If you, a friend or family member is struggling emotionally, you, are not alone. The number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 800-273-8255.
Resources
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
JED Foundation 13 Reasons Why Talking Points
Teachable Moments from “13 Reasons Why”
If you need support now, call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, or, text “START” to 741-741 to get help 24/7 from the Crisis Text Line.
If you or someone you know needs help, visit the Jordan Porco Foundation’s resources page.
The opinions expressed in this blog are personal, and not those of the Jordan Porco Foundation. The information in this blog post is provided for general informational purposes only and should not be construed as mental health advice from the individual author or the Jordan Porco Foundation. You should consult a mental health professional for advice regarding your individual situation.
