Suicidal thoughts, much like the full range of mental health conditions, can affect anyone regardless of age, gender or background.

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month – and the week starting Sept 10 is National Suicide Prevention Week.

These are both excellent opportunities to raise awareness and discuss this highly stigmatized topic.

One way that I’ve been trying to raise awareness (and funds) is by working with Erika’s Lighthouse to educate students about #MentalWellness in general and suicide prevention in particular.

Our goal is ensuring that individuals, friends and families have access to the resources they need to discuss suicide prevention and to seek help.

We are able to reach a new student for about $2 – so your gift of any amount really goes a long way toward making a meaningful impact.

If you’re able to make a donation of $26.20 (a dollar for each mile that I’ll run in the Chicago marathon on Oct 8) – I’ll send you a signed copy of my most recent book about “Mental Fitness – Maximizing Mood, Motivation, and Mental Wellness by Optimizing the Brain-Body-Biome”

If you’re able to make a larger donation, I have arranged a partnership with Perfect Sleep Pad – an innovative mattress cooling/heating system that REALLY improves sleep quality. I use this on my own bed and we have them on all of the beds at our mental wellness retreat (3 Waves Wellness and the Amare Mental Wellness Center). You can save 15% on your purchase of a Perfect Sleep system – and another 15% will be donated to Erika’s Lighthouse – by using code “TALBOTT15” at checkout.

In addition to shifting public perception, we use this time to spread hope and vital information to people affected by suicide – and to broaden the overall discussion about the importance of #MentalWellness in every aspect of our lives – so “thanks in advance” for your support!

Resources

• If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text 988 immediately.

• If you are uncomfortable talking on the phone, you can chat the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988lifeline.org

• General information about mental health can be found from a number of excellent non-profit organizations, including NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), MHA (Mental Health America), and ELH (Erika’s Lighthouse)

• Team Resilience (raising funds to support mental wellness education and suicide awareness)