Suicide Prevention: When to Seek Help

Millions of Americans struggle with suicidal thoughts or suicidal ideation. This can include thoughts of wanting to be dead or thoughts of wanting to kill yourself. Anyone can experience thoughts of suicide, and it does not always result in a suicide attempt.

Factors that might increase the risk of suicide can include mental illness, social isolation, serious illness, trauma, exposure to violence, substance use and painful loss.

“As soon as you start to feel depressed or anxious to the point you’re not able to do daily activities, please seek out help,” said Lauren Yoggerst, MA, with Memorial Behavioral Health (MBH). “The sooner those symptoms are identified and addressed, the better the outcome will be and will hopefully help prevent thoughts of suicide or of doing any harm to yourself.”

If you notice any of the following symptoms in yourself or a friend or family member, seek out help:

• Talking about suicide or wanting to die, giving away items or even saying goodbye to friends or family
• Feeling worried to the point you can’t leave the house, go to work or sleep like you used to
• Not taking care of hygiene or household chores
• Feeling irritable or angry for little or no reason
• Having trouble focusing on tasks or getting confused about what’s going on around you

If you experience suicidal thoughts or are thinking of how you might harm yourself, please seek immediate help. Memorial Behavioral Health’s Mobile Crisis Response team is available 24/7 at 217-788-7070. They can provide support over the phone or come to you to provide assistance in person. You can also contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline 24/7 by calling or texting 988 or via chat online. This service is free, confidential and available nationwide.

Where to Find Help

Memorial Behavioral Health offers walk-in intake services for anyone interested in seeking help. You or a loved one can walk in to our Springfield office Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and speak with an intake specialist about what services would be best for you. If a telehealth appointment is more convenient, call our office at 217-525-1064 to set up an intake appointment.

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