Speak Up, Stop Suicide

Speak Up, Stop Suicide.

In any given year, one in five Americans will experience a mental illness. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among people between the ages of 10-14 and 25-34. One person takes their life every eleven minutes. In the midst of a global pandemic and with mental health diseases increasing every year, it is essential to make sure mental health is just as much of a priority as physical health.

That is why Celine also dedicates her time to mental health initiatives and speaks openly to others about mental health struggles. Once we validate the feelings of not being okay, it is then when we can seek help and make time for self-care. She volunteers as a crisis counselor for the Crisis Text Line, a position in which she uses active listening, collaborative problem solving, and crisis management skills to communicate with others and bring them from a moment of crisis to a cooler calm. She has also worked with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention as a community walker, raising and donating funds toward suicide prevention efforts, and as a field advocate, reaching out directly to her elected officials.

Celine would like to see more progress with mental health treatment, including improving access to health care, increasing research, addressing the shortage of mental health physicians, expanding philanthropic investments in mental health issues, and incorporating mental health training and screenings in schools. As an advocate and future physician, she hopes she can be a part of that important and potentially life-saving change.

Resources:

Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988, or text the Crisis Text Line (text HELLO to 741741). Both are available 24/7 and are free.

You can also find mental health care through the American Psychiatric Association or American Psychological Association.