West Tenn. takes part in National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

JACKSON, Tenn. — “We lose three Tennesseans every day to suicide,” Scott Ridgway, Executive Director of the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network, said.

The Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network wants to get that number down to zero. They held a conference Thursday where speakers shared tips about preventing suicide.

“We want to help people to realize that there is hope out there, that there is help,” Phillip Barham, with the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network, said.

One of the best ways, they believe, to be prepared is to have their QPR training. QPR stands for question, persuade, refer.

“We teach people how to look for warning signs, the risk factors, things like that and how they can help talk to people about suicide,” Barham said.

And Barham has personally seen the good this training can do.

“When you see those people later and they’re still alive and you were able to play a part in that, that’s one of the greatest things we do,” Barham said.

During the conference, people gave personal testimonies of losing someone in their life to suicide as well. The network believes addressing the issue of suicide is the way to stop it.

“One person’s death affects a greater number of people in rural counties,” Ridgway said. “If we do not address the issue, we continue to lose others.”

TSPN will have events across the state all month long to educate people on suicide.

If you or someone you know is struggling and in need of help, all you need to do is text the number 741-741 and send the message “TN” or call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.