Thank you to our sponsors for this episode @BADESIGN305!!! The best contractors in South Florida. If you are looking to build your dream space - residential or commercial- make sure to call them at 786.208.4267 🏡🛠 And thank you to our interviewees: JOWHARAH SANDERS founder of www.nveee.org - NATIONAL VOICES FOR EQUALITY, EDUCATION, AND ENLIGHTENMENT & NAISA CAJUSTE; a young advocate & leader 🙏🏻🙏🏻. WHAT TO DO IF YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT SUICIDE

Promise not to do anything right now

Avoid drugs and alcohol

Make your home safe

Take hope—people DO get through this

Don’t keep these suicidal feelings to yourself

HOW YOU SHOULD REACT IF YOUR FRIEND TALKS ABOUT SUICIDE

Take it Seriously. Don’t assume they will be OK or that they are not serious and don’t have a plan.

Take Action. Don’t wait for someone else to help them. That someone is YOU. Don’t waste time. Get help.

Don’t keep it a secret. Don’t promise them confidentiality because a good friend will do what’s in their best interest.

Encourage your friend to seek help. It’s important that they actively get help from a counselor, psychologist, teacher or doctor. If they don’t feel comfortable talking in person, they call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or youth helpline Your Life Your Voice at 1-800-448-3000.

HOW TO TALK TO YOUR FRIEND’S PARENT IF YOU THINK YOUR FRIEND IS CONSIDERING SUICIDE

Remain calm. Sit one or both parents/ guardian down in a quiet

Talk about the warning signs you’ve noticed

Talk about, and possibly share, any evidence you’ve been shown or found (i.e. text messages, notes, social media postings, poems, drawings, phone calls, etc.)

Share what reasons your friend gave and that you’ve spoken to them previously and are not convinced they won’t make an attempt

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR FRIEND, OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW, HAS MADE AN ATTEMPT AND IS IN NEED OF IMMEDIATE SUPPORT

IMMEDIATELY DIALL 911 and send them to the persons current location

Pick up the phone and call their parent, older sibling or anyone else who may be able to get to them quickly

Contact your parent or a trusted adult to get help with this process immediately. This will be a terrifying process if you do it alone.

If you saw the post on social media, screen shot it in an effort to show officials what you saw

If they live in another State and you can’t contact parents or family, google the number to the police station in their City and tell them it’s an emergency. From experience, calling 911 in your State won’t help. They can’t transfer you and can only give you the number to the Police Station in their City. Save yourself 10 minutes and look it up yourself.

You may also try to contact the Fire Station in their City. I didn’t try this but it’s worth a shot. The key is to get them help as quickly as possible.