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Published on June 14, 2018

There is Help, There is Hope: Let’s Work Together to Prevent Suicide

It has been a heartbreaking month with the deaths of journalist-chef Anthony Bourdain and designer Kate Spade, which brought national attention to suicide prevention. While we mourn their deaths we also mourn the other 123 individuals who will die by suicide each day in the United States.

There is Hope and There is Help

Suicide is preventable. It’s important that we work together to be aware of the warning signs and know how to connect individuals to resources. If you are concerned about someone ask the question, ‘Are you thinking about suicide?’. The best thing we can do is to bring up the topic and know how to connect individuals to resources (listed below) immediately if the answer is ‘yes’. Contrary to what many people think, asking someone if they are thinking of suicide will not lead a person to consider suicide.

Suicide Warning Signs

These signs indicate someone is at risk for suicide. Risk is greater if a behavior is new or has increased, and if it seems related to a painful event, loss or change.

  • Talking about wanting to die or to kill oneself
  • Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs
  • Looking for a way to kill oneself, such as searching online or buying a gun
  • Acting anxious or agitated; behaving recklessly
  • Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live
  • Sleeping too much or too little
  • Talking about feeling trapped or being in unbearable pain
  • Withdrawing or feeling isolated
  • Talking about being a burden to others
  • Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge
  • Displaying extreme mood swings

If you or someone you know is in crisis now, seek help immediately.

Resources to Help

Bryan Medical Center is a community leader in mental health care offering a range of services for all ages developed over nearly 80 years. Services include emergency mental health care, inpatient treatment, partial hospitalization, outpatient treatment at the Bryan Counseling Center and wellness groups led by our certified peer specialists.

For Emergency Situations:
Call 1-800-273-8255 to reach a 24-hour crisis line. Call 911 for immediate assistance, or go to the nearest emergency room.

Bryan West Campus has a mental health emergency department available 24/7 that provides emergency mental health care/crisis assessments to determine if hospitalization is needed. Use the main emergency department entrance.

For Non-Emergency Situations:
Call the Bryan Counseling Center at 402-481-5991 to schedule an appointment. Our team includes trained counselors specializing in many areas. You can learn more about our services and team at bryanhealth.org/counseling-center.

If you are not quite sure about your symptoms and want to learn more, you can take an online screening. Confidential, free, mental health screenings are available at bryanhealth.org/mental-health.

Learn More
To learn more about Bryan Mental Health Services and to take a video tour, visit bryanhealth.org/mental-health.

dave miers

About Dr. Dave Miers

Dave Miers, PhD, is director of behavioral health services at Bryan Medical Center in Lincoln, Nebraska.

He helped establish the Nebraska State Suicide Prevention Coalition in 1999 and chaired/co-chaired this Coalition until 2017. He currently serves on the Board of Directors. Dr. Miers is a member of the leadership group for the Lincoln/Lancaster County Suicide Prevention Coalition. Dr. Miers has published research and co-authored a chapter in the Routledge International Handbook of Clinical Suicide Research focusing on family survivors of a child suicide. Dr. Miers helped develop the Lincoln Lancaster Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors (LOSS) team in Lincoln, Neb. He also helped develop other LOSS teams in Nebraska and is active with LOSS team development on a national level.

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