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An Editorial Opinion of The Greenville Advocate

Editor’s note: This article discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, don’t hesitate to contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

988 is the national, three-digit crisis services phone number for all mental health, substance use and suicide crises. It’s described as a lifeline, where calls or texts are routed directly to compassionate, accessible care and support for anyone experiencing mental health-related distress.

On Saturday, a member of the Crenshaw County community posted on social media that they were experiencing a crisis. First responders immediately took action to locate the person to get them the help they needed. It was an all-hands-on-deck operation, with law enforcement working alongside E-9-1-1 telecommunicators to get help there quickly, before it was too late.

Each community member has been touched by a mental health-related crisis. Perhaps we know someone who has struggled with thoughts of suicide, attempted to take their own life or lost the battle to choose life by committing suicide. Some community members know someone in a mental health or substance use4 crisis or any other kind of emotional crisis.

That person could be a friend, loved one or even ourselves.

The numbers are staggering. According to Centers for Disease Control, more people die by suicide in American than in car accidents and more suicide deaths occur than homicide or AIDS death combined. For every person who dies by suicide annually, 316 people seriously consider suicide.

Help is available. Whether we know someone or we are someone in crisis, help is only a phone call away. By calling or texting 988, crisis care is right there when you need it most.

Crisis centers provide a place to go for in-person services. An urgent care in Andalusia, operated by South Central Alabama Mental Health Center serves Butler, Crenshaw, Coffee and Covington counties. Carastar Health Crisis Center in Montgomery serves residents of Lowndes County.

The 988 Lifeline has received more than 20 million calls from people in distress who are looking for support. As of 2021, that number was at 23,044,100 calls since the lifeline was created in 2005.

In 2020, 35,095 Alabamians called 988, a call volume up 57% from 2016. The chances that we or someone we know will need support during a crisis increase every day.

Each of us can do our part to help, by being aware of those around us and noticing when drastic changes in behavior, habits, physical appearance or attendance at events indicates someone is in need of help.

If you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis and are in need of support, call or text 988.