September is National Suicide Prevention Month and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is spreading the word about a national phone line.
988 Day is a national initiative on Sep. 8 to raise awareness about the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
Hannah Wesolowski, the chief advocacy officer at NAMI, said more than 17 million people have called 988 over the last three years.
“Anyone who is struggling, whether it's thoughts of suicide or emotional distress or a substance use crisis,” she said, “can reach out to 988. You can call, you can text, or you can chat online at 988lifeline.org.”
Wesolowski said people can also call if someone close to them needs help.
She is urging everyone to make sure their friends and family know about this hotline.
“You never know when somebody's struggling,” she said. “And making sure everyone's aware of this resource is absolutely vital to help us address the suicide crisis in this country.”
The LGBTQ+ youth option is no longer available based on changes made by the Trump administration. Wesolowski said the Trevor Project still has a crisis line for those who are impacted.
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline gives free emotional support to people in crisis across the United States and its territories. For more information visit here.
