September is Suicide Prevention Month: What to Know, How to Help

By ORION BAKER/Staff Writer

Suicide Prevention Month in September brings awareness to those who deal with suicidal thoughts and the help that is available to them.

“It’s all about instilling hope in others,” Dr. Terry Britt, associate professor of mass communications at UT Tyler, said.

Britt said he had a hard life growing up. Both he and his mom dealt with suicidal ideation, and he lost friends to suicide. Today, he advocates for suicide prevention.

“It’s all about letting people know that there’s someone out there to listen: trusted friends, teachers, professors, someone they feel comfortable with so they can confide in,” Britt said.

Associate Dean of Students Kim Livingston-Cobb is also an advocate for suicide prevention awareness. She is part of the CARE (Campus Assessment, Response, and Evaluation) team at UT Tyler.

CARE provides support from an emotional, social, physical and intellectual angle to students dealing with wellness issues.

“Suicide Prevention is a lot of things, it’s supporting those who have suicidal idealations and letting individuals know that they aren’t alone,” Livingston-Cobb said.

She is trying to break the stigma behind talking about mental health.

“Each individual has their own story or purpose to tell, so to be a part of suicide awareness helps others know that their struggles aren’t their own,” Livingston-Cobb said. “We are here to listen and help.”

Some helpful resources to keep in mind are the suicide hotline at 988 and the suicide prevention website.