September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and local experts urge that the community openly talk about suicide to make it less stigmatized.

Every year, more than 41,000 people die by suicide and about 90 percent are also believed to have had a mental health disorder.

Emergence Health Network reports suicide is the second leading cause of death among teens and young adults.

Celeste Nevarez, a licensed counselor at Emergence said many times adults believe that by having a conversation about suicide can become provoking, but that’s not the case. The topic of suicide, though, should be approached the right way.

“That doesn’t mean you have to be an expert, it just means we need to be there to answer questions rather than leaving teenagers to talk amonst themselves or feel ashamed about asking questions,” Nevarez said.

Nevarez said she has noticed how social media and online bullying are playing a factor in teen suicide.

“Bullies have been around since the beginning of time, but it’s a lot easier to be a bully behind a screen and not face to face,” Nevarez said.

While social media can be used as a tool to harm others, some teens are also using it as an outlet to cope.

“It’s more comfortable to talk about things in an open space, I think part of that is because there is less judgement,” Nevarez said.

Social media can also leave behind signs that were missed after someone commits suicide.

In 2015, the suicide rate among teen girls hit a 40-year high, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Five girls per 100,000 took their own lives, compared to fourteeen boys.

Emergence Health Network offers a 24/7 hotline for people who find themselves in a crisis or need immediate help. Emergence offers programs for teens as young as 16 and can enroll themselves without parental consent to talk to a counselor up to twice a week.

The phone number is (915) 779-1800.