Suicide Awareness Month: You Are Not Alone

Content Warning: This article includes discussion of suicidal ideation.

When we tragically lose beloved celebrities—such as Hayden Panettiere—it makes us pause and wonder, what went wrong? What could have happened to cause this? 

In an interview with ABC News, Panettiere’s mother—Lesley Vogel—touches on the matter. 

"But I also want people to understand that it is my belief that... she was suffering,” Vogel said. "Now that doesn't make sense because when you look at a beautiful girl who's got an incredible career, even though it has had its ups and downs, but you know, you look at that big picture and you go, why would you be suffering? People don't understand that you can have on the exterior all of this. But that doesn't mean that what's going on in here matches."

As of September 16, Panettiere’s alleged cause of death was fentanyl-laced oxycodone. In 2022, Panettiere opened up about her addiction in an interview with PEOPLE, specifically her team giving her drugs—or what they called “happy pills”—before interviews when she was only 15. 

"They were to make me peppy during interviews," says Panettiere. "I had no idea that this was not an appropriate thing, or what door that would open for me when it came to my addiction."

Although someone may seem happy on the outside, that doesn’t mean they aren’t struggling with internal battles. 

You may not know your loved ones are struggling, so educating yourself could help those around you. Learning the importance of word choice, different risk factors, and statistics about suicide is important. 

Risk Factors and Warnings—When to Reach Out

Last September, Mikolaya Nynka—director of the Counseling Center—spoke to students in Newspaper Produciton Studio about the importance of suicide prevention awareness. The following information is from her presentation. 

There are certain factors that can increase a person’s likelihood of struggling with their mental health. Some risks include physical health issues, financial problems, relationship struggles, or substance use. 

These factors do not automatically mean you will develop suicidal ideations or struggle with your mental health, but they increase a person’s chances of being susceptible to self harm or depression. 

If you notice a person mentioning hurting themself or others, talking about death, withdrawing from others, or saying goodbye and giving their belongings away, these are critical warning signs that someone is planning or thinking about suicide. 

It is important to reach out to those who may be struggling with suicidal ideations or mental health concerns. The conversation can be difficult, but it will help the person who is struggling.     

Importance of Language Use

When discussing mental health related topics, it is important to avoid stigmatizing language. For example, instead of saying a person “committed suicide,” you should say they “took their own life.” 

Using stigmatizing language can make those who are struggling afraid to speak about their feelings. If a loved one is struggling, they might not feel safe discussing anything when the people around them use terms like “crazy” or “sensitive” when referring to people who are expressing their emotions.

College Students—Mental Health Decline

Between the end of the COVID-19 quarantine and now, there has been an increase in mental health concerns regarding college students. 

According to the State Council of Higher Education in Virginia (SCHEV), a national survey conducted this year shows about “70% of college students reported experiencing a mental health concern within the past year, with anxiety, stress, depression and ADD/ADHD among the most common issues.”

College students undergo stress for various reasons, such as school work, home life, financial situations, or relationships. Regardless of the reason, their mental health struggles can negatively affect their day-to-day lives. How can you expect someone to navigate their day when they can’t find a way to cope with their internal battles?

Resources

At Centenary University, students have access to free counseling at the Counseling Center located at 605 Grand Avenue. The Center is open Monday–Friday from 9 a.m.–5 p.m, as well as offer walk-in hours daily from 12–1 p.m. They can be reached at 908-852-1400 extension 2125, or via email at counselingcenter@centenaryuniversity.edu.

The Center is sponsoring a Mental Health Fair on Tuesday, Sept. 29 from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in The Quad.

If you or someone you know are struggling with suicidal ideation or crisis, you can reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifelife via call or text message. You can also chat with the lifeline directly here. 

September is Suicide Awareness Month. You matter. Not only in September, but every single day.