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Raising mental health awareness in National Suicide Prevention Month

Roanoke, Virginia – Hundreds of people are committing suicide each year across the U.S., and since September is National Suicide Prevention Month, many people focus on this issue and mental health in general.
According to a statistics of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is among the 10 causes of deaths in the U.S.
In addition, the pandemic has a significant contribution to increased stress at humans, according to Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare.
“I think the bottom line is that everyone is at risk, and some groups are at more risk because of different risk factors. The way I see it is that we are all at risk and we can all help each other, no matter where we come from,” said Sheila Lythgoe with Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare.
If you recognize the following signs at your loved ones, such as: sad or withdrawn; talking about feeling empty or hopeless, or having no way out; giving away personal items; and saying goodbye to family and friends, which are more common at people who want to commit suicide, ask them to seek for mental health assistance or call 800-273-8255.

Marco Harmon

I was born and raised in Roanoke, VA. I studied Communications Studies at Roanoke College, and I’ve been part of the news industry ever since. Visiting my favorite downtown Roanoke bars and restaurants with my friends is how I spend most of my free time when I'm not at the desk.

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