With the start of Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, the Empowering Healthy Minds Club has many events and and meetings to help the fight for suicide prevention. Cathedral will recognize suicide prevention week and hosting meetings ever Wednesday with various activities to benefit suicide prevention and show support.

When addressing the issues around mental health, Mrs. Irene Wilson, a coordinator for the Empowering Healthy Minds Club, believes that,”The biggest thing is helping people to see that they aren’t alone, when you are in a severe state of struggle, it’s easy to get caught up in the ‘I’m the only one who feels this way’ space.” Mrs. Wilson explains that the first step is to have a conversation about what you’re feeling, or to ask someone if you are concerned about them.

Teen Suicide plagues teens today as over 20% of teenagers have contemplated suicide and that one in five teens suffer from mental illness. Having conversations, raising awareness, and showing support can help lower these numbers more and more every year. Most teens don’t have the courage to talk about things when they feel them, so by showing support it can make it easier for them to talk about it.

Students and educators can also raise awareness by wearing one of the pins the Empowering Healthy Minds Club will make at today’s meeting, or showing support at one of the meetings on one of the Wednesdays this month.

Mrs. Wilson says about the information shared at the meetings, ”They are great ways to learn some different coping strategies but also show support.”