This week is National Mental Health Awareness week, there are several warning signs everyone should look out for in loved ones.

Program Director of Senior Life Solutions at Dallas County Hospital and Clinics Karen Hildreth tells Raccoon Valley Radio there were over 1.4 million suicide attempts in the United States in 2018. Hildreth adds the scarier number is that for every death by suicide, there are 25 more attempts. The elderly age group has the highest rate of suicide attempts, according to Hildreth.

Hildreth lays out a few warning signs that may indicate someone is struggling, “Emotionally, we see them having a prolonged sadness. Then they kind of withdraw and we see them not doing stuff they normally do. Maybe it’s a teenager who used to be on Facebook a lot or engaged in sports, and now they no longer want to do those things that they used to enjoy. 

Hildreth recommends if you notice a loved one expressing these signs to ask honest questions, listen actively, persuade them to seek help, and accompany them throughout the process. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is dedicating several days this week towards mental illness awareness including National Day of Prayer for Mental Illness Recovery and Understanding Tuesday, National Depression Screening Day, Thursday, and World Mental Health Day, and National Day of Hope Saturday. You can find more resources from NAMI here.