As many citizens may know this month is Suicide Awareness month. However, the importance of Suicide Awareness is a needed year long endeavor. The statistics of this very State we live in are all too shocking to be ignored. According to the research done by the “World Population Review” For both 2018 and 2022 Utah was ranked in sixth place for highest Suicide rates. To put this into perspective we must remember there are 50 states in the U.S. Even with an openness to talking about mental health there is still a ton of miscommunication and shame behind mental health.

The first thing to be aware of is if you are struggling with, or know someone struggling with harmful thoughts towards oneself, or others do not keep it a secret! Reach out to a trusted adult, therapist, or crisis worker. If you don’t know who to talk to, a good source is the suicide and crisis lifeline (988). Along with that you may want to get the SafeUT app.

Here is a useful step process: if you have already gotten to the point of harming yourself, make sure you go to an urgent care facility with a parent or guardian, where they can evaluate any medical needs. They will probably have you talk to a crisis worker who will test if you are stable enough to go back home. They will most likely refer you to an Inpatient Mental Health facility. It’s important to make sure where they refer you to is compatible with your insurance. Going to a facility may sound scary, and unpredictable, but the cost of a life exceeds any amount of money and time it might cost.

Some of the main short term Inpatient places around, or in Utah Valley include: Provo Canyon, Primary Childrens, Highland Ridge, and Huntsman Mental Health. Firstly Provo Canyon, may not be my first choice. Reviews from those who have been there were not positive. Though the food is really good, but there are concerns about treatment compared to cost. Primary Children’s- “ They are good at therapy and after care,” said one student that chooses to remain anonymous. Highland Ridge has the same layout design of Provo Canyon, but is owned by a different program. Highland Ridge would not be at the top of my recommendation list, but may be better than Provo Canyon. I prefer if you try not to go here if it’s not the only option available. The staff can either be really good or really bad depending on the shift. Now Huntsman Mental Health is the best place you could go in these circumstances. Though the inside secret to get into that facility is to get admitted from the Huntsman ER, in order to get a better chance of getting into this place. This place is exceptional with their care, and is really good at helping you get into residential treatment, or other facilities if it is needed for your care.

This may seem all confusing and irrelevant, but if it wasn’t for all of this I, as the writer, would not be alive right now to give these insights. Though it took some years of this chaos to finally learn to love and value my life, I wouldn’t change it for the world because now I can share my experiences to others going through similar situations. Trust me from experience it is worth getting the help you need. And for those out there needing to hear this; you are loved, you are important, you are worth it, this hopelessness will end. You can feel the light again.