Are you Okay?

In honor of suicide awareness month I challenge everyone to ask someone if they’re ok or let someone know that you’re not ok. Let’s talk about it. Depression can affect many areas of a person's life and outlook. Someone who has very intense feelings of depression, emotional pain, or irritability may begin to think about suicide. You may have heard that people who talk about suicide won't actually go through with it. That's not true. People who talk about suicide may be likely to try it.🗣

Listen to your friend without judging and offer reassurance that you're there and you care. If you think your friend is in immediate danger, stay close — make sure he or she isn't left alone. 👂🏽

Even if you're told to keep this a secret and you feel like you'll be betraying your friend if you tell, you should still get help. Share your concerns with an adult you trust as soon as possible. You can also call the toll-free number for a suicide crisis line (like 1-800-273-8255) or a local emergency number (911). ☎️

If you have a friend who is talking about suicide or showing other warning signs, don't wait to see if he or she starts to feel better. Talk about it. Most of the time, people who are considering suicide are willing to discuss it if someone asks them out of concern and care. 💛