As news articles and social media posts about their deaths urged people in need of help to call the hotline — at 1-800-273-8255 — the number of calls were up compared to the previous week, according to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline director John Draper.
Hearing about celebrity deaths may bring out feelings of depression, Draper told theWall Street Journal, or there can be a “collective sense of loss that many people feel.”
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And talking to someone on the hotline can help.
“The research is really clear that these calls have been shown to reduce emotional distress and suicidal crisis,” Draper said.
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Experts agree thatthe best thing to do if you or someone you know is considering suicideor dealing with depression is to talk.
“Talking saves lives,”Dr. Kevin Gilliland, Psy.D., a clinical psychologist and director of Innovation360, an outpatient resource center, told PEOPLE. “Ask them if they have had the thought or feeling like it would be better to ‘just not be alive. Express empathy for the person and offer to help them get connected to people that can help them with how they are feeling. Help them develop a plan to get help and follow-through with them until they get connected.”
He adds, “People often don’t know they are depressed or what’s wrong with them and may need your help getting connected to the appropriate healthcare people that can treat their condition.”
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “help” to theCrisis Text Lineat 741-741 or go tosuicidepreventionlifeline.org.
source: people.com
