PORTLAND, Maine — As part of NEWS CENTER Maine’s ongoing mission to talk about mental health, we have dedicated our entire 6 p.m. newscast to talking about suicide. We know it’s difficult to even say the word. But to stop it, we need to talk about it.
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, so now is the right time to share stories of loss, survival, and hope.
Mainers should know that among those who make a suicide attempt, 90 percent or more of them pass through the crisis. By reaching out for help, people reconnect with hope and don’t go on to die by suicide. Seeking help, however, takes encouragement. It’s one of the bravest things an individual can do when they are experiencing thoughts of suicide.
That’s why when we work together – talking about it – we can help save a life.
If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, there are resources right here in Maine that can help navigate through those thoughts and find a path to hope.
Maine Crisis Hotline: 1-888-568-1112
Maine teen text support
This peer support text line is for Maine youth 13 to 24 years old and is staffed by individuals 18 to 24. Talk about your feelings and get support from another young person. Daily from noon to 10 p.m. EST at 207-515-8398
Here are the stories featured in the special:
- NEWS CENTER Maine's Sam Rogers shares how losing his brother to suicide has changed him
- Military veteran shares story of surviving sexual assault and suicide
- Portland's Center for Grieving Children sees uptick in people struggling with suicide
- Transgender man shares story of hope, years after surviving suicide
- How Mainers are using social media to talk about mental health
- The impacts of isolation on the mental health of older Mainers, and how to help
- The impacts of teen suicide on the family left behind