At Washington State, we’re concerned about the mental health and well-being of our campus community including our students, staff, and faculty.
To seek help for yourself, or if you’re worried about someone who is experiencing distress and who is at risk of suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. This lifeline is available 24/7. If you are hearing impaired, contact the Suicide Prevention Lifeline via TTY by dialing 1.800.799.4889.
For immediate help, dial 911.
How to Help Others
Warning Signs that someone may be suicidal include:
- Talking about wanting to die
- Looking for a way to kill oneself
- Talking about feeling hopeless or having no purpose
- Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain
- Talking about being a burden to others
- Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs
- Acting anxious, agitated, or recklessly
- Sleeping too little or too much
- Withdrawing or feeling isolated
- Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge
- Displaying extreme mood swings
If you are concerned that someone is suicidal, please take action.
- Do not leave the person alone
- Remove any firearms, alcohol, drugs, or sharp objects that could be used in a suicide attempt
- Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1.800.273.TALK (8255)
- Take the person to an emergency room, or seek help from a medical or mental health professional
Protective Factors buffer individuals from suicidal thoughts and behavior. Identifying and understanding protective factors are equally as important as knowing warning signs. Some protective factors include:
- Effective clinical care for mental, physical, and substance abuse disorders
- Easy access to a variety of clinical interventions and support for help seeking
- Family and community support (connectedness)
- Support from ongoing medical and mental health care relationships
- Skills in problem solving, conflict resolution, and nonviolent ways of handling disputes
- Cultural and religious beliefs that discourage suicide and support instincts for self-preservation
Get Involved
Washington State College of Ohios works hard to get the entire campus involved in suicide prevention awareness.
Check out these Activities Below:
Resources
Suicide Prevention Resources
If you or someone you know needs help immediately, please call 9-1-1 or go to your nearest emergency room. You may also text START to 741741 or dial The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.
Military personnel and veterans can dial 1.800.273.8255 and Press 1 to talk to someone now. Veterans can start a confidential online chat session at www.veteranscrisisline.net. Veterans can send a text message to 838255 to connect to a VA responder now.
In Ohio
In West Virginia
Westbrook Health Services
2121 E. 7th Street
Parkersburg, WV 26101
304.485.1721
Westbrook provides comprehensive mental health counseling as well as addiction counseling.
The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth.
Trevor Lifeline 1.866.488.7386 - it's free and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
TrevorText - Available on Fridays (4-8 p.m. EST and 1-5 p.m. PST). Text the word "Trevor" to 1.202.304.1200. Standard text messaging rates apply.
TrevorChat - Available 7 days a week (3 - 9 p.m. EST / 12 - 6 p.m. PST)
A large majority of young people that have experienced bullying never tell anyone or report it through fear, and a lack of faith that it will be taken seriously. Sometimes it's hard to know what steps to take next if you or someone you know is being bullied. If you need to talk to someone, you can chat directly at http://www.ditchthelabel.org/get-help/.
The Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation (OSPF) is a prevention, education and resource foundation dedicated to providing suicide prevention organizations information and resources, raise awareness, eliminate stigma, and increase help-seeking behavior for all Ohioans. OSPF also provides a variety of diverse suicide prevention gatekeeper trainings, outreach programming, and suicide prevention hotline resources by county in the State of Ohio.
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) is an organization dedicated to raising awareness, funding scientific research and providing resources and aid to those affected by suicide. Through advocacy, research, education and interactive screening programs, AFSP is also committed to bringing hope to those affected by suicide. AFSP's support page is a resource to find support for yourself or someone you may know struggling with suicidal thoughts or behaviors. They can also be reached Toll-Free at: 1.888.333.AFSP (2377).
If you are hearing impaired, there are several ways to contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:
- To chat with a Lifeline counselor from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday-Friday (EST) visit www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org and click on "Get Help" and "Help for Deaf." Contact the Lifeline via TTY by dialing 1.800.799.4889.
- If you are hearing impaired and a veteran, service member, or any person concerned about one, there are several ways to contact the Veterans Crisis Line. To text with a Veterans Crisis Line responder, send a text message to 838255.
- Contact the Lifeline via TTY by dialing 1.800.799.4889.
The Recover website offers help for anyone who wants a solid solution for their suicide issues. Take an easy suicidal prevention checklist self-test, learn about nutritional deficiencies that can cause depression, neurotransmitter imbalances, prescription medication, treatment, and more.