Teal and purple suicide prevention ribbons with text:

Suicide Prevention Day: Saving Lives And Breaking The Silence

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In This Blog, You’ll Learn

✅ What suicide prevention is and why it matters
✅ The warning signs of suicide and depression
✅ Key risk factors and protective factors against suicide
✅ Frameworks like the 3 C’s, 3 R’s, 4 P’s, and the 3ST model explained
✅ How therapy approaches like CBT, DBT, and ACT help in prevention
✅ Practical examples of how suicides can be prevented

Why Suicide Prevention Day Matters

Every year on September 10th, the world observes Suicide Prevention Day to raise awareness, break stigma, and remind us that every life is worth saving. At Mountains Therapy in Montclair, NJ, we believe that open conversations, support, and therapy can truly change outcomes for individuals who are struggling.

Understanding Suicide Prevention

What Is Suicide Prevention?

Suicide prevention refers to the strategies, support, and resources aimed at reducing suicide risk. It involves awareness, recognizing warning signs, addressing risk factors, and ensuring people know that help is available.

What Is the Biggest Prevention of Suicide?

Access to timely, compassionate mental health care. Therapy and open support systems are proven to lower risk.

How Are Most Suicides Prevented?

Most suicides are prevented through

Early intervention
Social connection
Crisis support
Consistent therapy

What Is Primary Prevention of Suicide?

Primary prevention focuses on stopping suicidal thoughts before they escalate through:

Education
Therapy
Resilience-building
Reducing stigma.

What Prevents People From Suicide?

Strong family and community connections
Access to professional mental health services
Hope-building practices like Mindfulness-Based Therapy
Removing access to lethal means

How Can We Prevent Suicides?

Talk openly about mental health
Check in with loved ones regularly
Encourage therapy when someone struggles
Call or Text 988 in the U.S. if someone is in immediate crisis to connect with the National Suicide Lifeline available 24/7.

Examples of Suicide Prevention

Community awareness events like Suicide Prevention Day
School-based mental health education
Crisis hotlines and peer-support programs
Access to therapy and long-term mental health treatment

Warning Signs and Symptoms

What Are the Warning Signs of Suicide?

Recognizing early signs can save lives.

🔴 Talking about wanting to die or feeling hopeless
🔴 Withdrawing from friends, family, or activities
🔴 Increased use of alcohol or drugs
🔴 Giving away possessions or saying goodbye
🔴 Extreme mood swings or changes in behavior

What Are Three Warning Signs of Depression and Suicide?

Persistent sadness and hopelessness
Social withdrawal and isolation
Expressions of worthlessness or burdensomeness

What Are 5 Warning Signs of Depression?

Changes in sleep or appetite
Fatigue or low energy
Trouble concentrating
Loss of interest in enjoyable activities
Thoughts of death or suicide

How Do You Know a Suicidal Person?

You may notice sudden withdrawal, hopeless statements, risky behaviors, or someone talking about feeling like a burden.

Risk Factors for Suicide

What Is the #1 Risk Factor for Suicide?

The strongest risk factor is a prior suicide attempt.

What Is the Strongest Indicator of Suicide Risk?

A past attempt remains the most reliable indicator that a person may attempt again.

What Are 5 Risk Factors for Suicide?

Previous suicide attempt
Untreated mental illness
Substance misuse
Trauma or abuse history
Lack of social support

What Are the Top 3 Causes of Suicide?

Untreated mental health conditions (depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD)
Substance misuse
Traumatic or overwhelming life stressors

Who Is Less Likely to Commit Suicide?

Research shows that people with strong social support, effective coping strategies, and access to therapy are less likely to attempt suicide.

Models and Frameworks

The 3 C’s of Suicide Prevention

What Are the 3 C’s of Suicide Prevention?
The 3 C’s often used in prevention work are:
Care: Show genuine concern and empathy
Connect: Link the person to supportive people and resources
Communicate: Keep an open, nonjudgmental dialogue
What Do the Three 3 C’s Stand For?
In crisis response, the 3 C’s also stand for:
Calm
Clear
Confident communication to reduce distress
What Is the 3 C’s Technique?
A supportive approach focusing on:
Staying Calm
Showing Care
Making a Connection with someone who may be struggling
What Are the 3 C’s of Crisis?
Confidence in responding
Control of emotions during crisis
Compassion for the person in need

The 3 R’s of Suicide Prevention

What Are the 3 R’s of Suicide Prevention?
Recognize: Learn to identify the warning signs
Respond: Offer immediate and compassionate support
Refer: Connect the person to professional resources like therapy

The 4 P’s of Suicide Risk & Assessment

What Are the 4 P’s of Suicide Risk & Assessment?
In clinical settings, therapists often assess:
Predisposing factors (trauma, family history)
Precipitating factors (life stressors, breakups, loss)
Perpetuating factors (ongoing mental health struggles)
Protective factors (support systems, coping skills, therapy)

The 3ST Model of Suicide

What Is the 3ST Model of Suicide?
The Three-Step Theory (3ST) explains suicidal ideation as:
Pain + hopelessness → suicidal thinking
Connection → lowers risk
Capacity for suicide → determines likelihood of attempt

How Therapy Helps With Suicide Prevention

At Mountains Therapy, our therapists provide compassionate, evidence-based care to address suicidal thoughts and underlying struggles. We use a variety of approaches, including:

ACT – Acceptance Commitment Therapy for Suicide: Helps clients find meaning and commit to life-affirming values.
Attachment-Based Therapy for Suicide: Strengthens bonds and reduces isolation.
CBT – Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Suicide: Identifies harmful thoughts and reshapes them.
DBT – Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for Suicide: Builds distress tolerance and emotional regulation.
EFT – Emotionally Focused Therapy for Suicide: Supports couples and families navigating crisis.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy for Suicide: Grounds clients in the present to reduce despair.
Narrative Therapy for Suicide: Helps rewrite painful stories with resilience and hope.
Psychodynamic Therapy for Suicide: Explores unresolved conflicts and trauma.
SFT – Solution Focused Therapy for Suicide: Builds step-by-step goals toward stability.
TF-CBT – Trauma-Focused CBT for Suicide: Addresses trauma that contributes to suicidal ideation.

Start Therapy for Suicide Prevention Today

If you or someone you love is struggling, you are not alone. At Mountains Therapy in Montclair, NJ, we provide confidential, compassionate care to help you or your loved one find hope again. Together, we can break the silence, reduce stigma, and prevent suicide. To begin therapy, book your session online.