September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and N.C. State University's Counseling Center is trying to get people talking about it.
Clinical social workers Noah Martinson and Daniel Goldstein launched a campaign called #StoptheStigma. They and StoryDriven Media Group released a video featuring three NCSU students talking about surviving their own suicide attempts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NR6YBcwkA7k
Martinson concedes that it's an uncomfortable topic. He says not only are suicidal people afraid to talk about it, but those close to them are afraid to ask.
"A lot of times, people don't know what to do with that information," Martinson says.
"We don't want to deputize everybody as junior therapists or something like that. But I think if we make it less of a scary thing, where people know that they have resources, they know that they have some skills, and they know that they can connect people with resources for help, then they won't feel quite so scared. Then some of that stigma will go away."
Wyatt Bond is one of the students featured in the video. He spoke about the effects of isolation.
"By not addressing the issues young men and women are facing, we're essentially putting them in a different room and not offering them the support and help that we should be," says Bond. "So, that's why we have to talk about this."
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention offers more information and resources on its web site.