A long-awaited mental health hotline (9-8-8) is now live and available to call 24/7 with an easy number to remember similar to the long-standing emergency line of 9-1-1. If you are suffering a mental health crisis or are suicidal, you can immediately reach a licensed mental health professional for help with no wait or hold times.

New number is an important step for those in crisis

Originally set up in 2005, the National Suicide Hotline has received around 2.2 million calls a year and provided free help to those in a mental health crisis. While the National Suicide Hotline has been a vital help for those in need, the phone number, 1-800-273-TALK (8255), is not easy to remember in times of crisis. For someone dealing with a mental health crisis, thoughts of suicide, or a loved one in crisis, being able to easily contact someone right away can make a world of difference.

To address this concern, a bipartisan bill was introduced to Congress called the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act to change the phone number to 988 nationwide for suicidal counseling and other mental health crisis. Now up and running since July 16, 2022, with the new number of 9-8-8, people don’t have to stop to look up a number before getting help. They can now simply push three buttons like we do 9-1-1 to get the assistance they need.
With 150 call centers nationwide, 13 of those spread throughout California, there is always someone ready to answer right away and help by talking someone through the crisis or connecting them with local resources to continue with assistance after the call is over.

The 9-8-8 website describes the new service in this way:
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the United States. We’re committed to improving crisis services and advancing suicide prevention by empowering individuals, advancing professional best practices, and building awareness.

California Is investing in 9-8-8 call centers

The mental health crisis hotline needs ongoing and regular funding to be successful as a reliable resource long-term. As a first step to regular funding, California’s Department of Health Care Services is investing $20 million to support this important resource. Governor Gavin Newsom said, “Expanded access to mental health services is a central focus of the California Comeback Plan. This $20 million investment is a critical first step to ensure crisis call centers have capacity and are equipped to help all callers so we can meet Californians where they are and expand resources and support during these difficult times.”

Already in use for a month now, Californians have been calling the 9-8-8 number when they are suffering from a mental health crisis and need help before harming themselves or others. With this investment in the future mental health of people throughout our state, we can now work as a community on spreading the word to those who need to hear it.

Call 9-8-8 whenever you need it

Completely free and confidential, 9-8-8 is emotional support when you need it. Simply call 9-8-8 and you will be connected right away with someone prepared and trained to help. A chat feature is also available on the 9-8-8 website.

Dealing with a parent’s suicide is horribly difficult at any age. For a child, many complicated feelings arise they don’t yet have the experience to handle or even name. While we can’t protect the children we love from these traumatic and grief-filled thoughts and feelings, there are ways we can help them cope as they work toward healing.

While we refer here to the loss of a parent, children need help coping with the grief after any close person commits suicide such as a grandparent, sibling, aunt, uncle, or friend.

Talk about emotions openly

As children grieve the loss of their parent, they will go through many complicated feelings. They may feel angry at their parent for leaving them, guilt for not having saved them, resentful at the extra responsibility placed on them in caring for younger children, relief after a parent’s prolonged illness, scared for what will happen to them in the future, and lost without that familiar parental support. Still in the stages of learning to name and handle these emotions, children may feel very confused as they learn to navigate unfamiliar territory and react by hiding away or acting out.

To help children cope with this myriad of emotions, let them know that all feelings they are having are acceptable and that they can share with you or another trusted adult anything they may be experiencing.

Give them different ways to express themselves

Depending on the age of the child, remember they may not be able to express themselves with clear words but may need to draw or play out their feelings in another way. Without this avenue of expression, whether through words or a form of play, children tend to hold things inside and blame themselves for their parent’s suicide. This can result in damaging behavior and mental health issues as they grow and develop into adults. By helping them talk through their feelings, you can address these thoughts and help them know the suicide is not their fault.

Explain mental illness

Explain to a child their parent suffered from a mental illness, that something was wrong with their brain that changed the way they thought and felt. Make sure they understand nothing they could have said or done could have fixed the problem and the suicide was not something they caused. It may even be worth repeating as children sometimes need to hear something more than once to really sink in.

Help the child move forward

Soon after the suicide, help the child get back to their normal routine of school and activities. This will help their sense of safety, predictability, and security. Also make sure they are surrounded by a strong family and social network who can keep an eye on the child and be there for them whenever they need to talk. As the child ages and enters new stages of life, they may need to deal with a new piece of their grief so continue to be there and listen.

Depending on the family situation, there may be other issues present such as drug use, addiction, mental illness, abuse, and poverty. Whether a child is dealing with just the suicide or with multiple issues, many children benefit greatly from seeing a counselor who is experienced in walking with children through the grieving process and other family issues.

Keep an eye out for deeper trauma

Some children, especially those with previous trauma or who are prone to anxiety, need more care to deal with their loss. This need may be expressed through problematic behavior such as withdrawal or acting out. Let the child know they are loved and cared for no matter how they are reacting in those moments. It can, at times, be hard to distinguish what is problematic and what is healthy grieving so as a child grapples with their parent’s suicide, keep an eye out for these changes:

• feelings of deep grief don’t dissipate over time
• the child withdraws verbally/socially/ or physically from previously loved people or activities
• refusal to go to school
• changes in eating or sleeping habits
• hurting themselves or others
• Obsession or avoidance of the parent or suicide event

If a child is not already talking with a counselor when exhibiting these behaviors, it is a good time to start. When a child’s parent or other close loved one commits suicide, that person is also more likely to commit suicide so helping a child grieve in a healthy way is of utmost importance for their future mental and physical health.

Continue helping the child as their grief changes

Just like adults grieving, grief changes over time for children and they will express it in different ways at different times as they walk though the process and grow up without that parent present. Continue to be there for them, listen to what they say and how they act, and get help when needed. Remember, you are likely also grieving and need ongoing support and someone to talk to. Get the care you need so you can also help your child deal with the loss of their parent.

For every person who commits suicide, there is a large group of people around them who are left behind. Once the police have completed their investigation and the funeral is over, these friends and family are left there beside the grave with fresh grief and far more questions than they’ll ever have answers for.

As cited in an article by USA Today, there are roughly 425 people left behind for each suicide committed with 6-42 people being especially close to the one they lost. With pain and grief, these bereaved must find new ways to navigate lives with a gaping hole ever-present.

There is no “right way” to walk with grief

No one can tell you what is the right way to handle your grief nor is there a time limit on grieving. It is not something you move past but you learn to walk with your grief day by day and each experience of grief is different. Some days are going to be okay and some are going to be bad days when simply getting out of bed is a triumph. It goes back and forth and all around. Months, even years later, the grief of losing your loved one may hit you in a new way.

It’s okay to need help after a loved one commits suicide

After a loved one commits suicide, it’s okay to ask for help when you need it. So much of our lives can revolve around those we love and after we face such a deep loss, we are left wondering how we could ever go on without the one we love. Though it can be tremendously difficult, it can be helpful to voice our pain and express these questions out loud. While each grief is different, there are other people who have also lost people to suicide who know, to some degree, what you are experiencing. They may have suggestions of what helps them or you may simply need them to listen to your experience or hear you tell stories about the one you lost.

Everyone can use extra support when facing these questions. The stories we’ve told ourselves throughout our lives, the dreams we had for the future, are all called into question and we must grapple with the “what now” when we can’t imagine life without that special person by our side. All of this is an immense loss and to talk about it, to acknowledge it, and share memories of our loved ones may be what we need to get through that next day and the day after that.

Though depression, pain, and sadness can be, at times, all we are able to see, there are people and resources around you who are there to help. Experienced in walking with people who have also lost loved ones to suicide, they know what struggles you may have or have suggestions on things you can do to process what you’re going through.

Those left behind face an increased risk of suicide

For those left behind after a loved one commits suicide, they have an increased rate of committing suicide themselves. Younger people, especially, seem particularly susceptible to this trend though it is certainly not limited to that age group. Children of suicide victims, siblings, spouses, relatives, and friends have all been known to take their own lives after someone close to them takes theirs. With such a stigma around suicide, some people silently suffer in their grief without asking for help. With the clear example before them, they see the option of suicide as a viable solution to their pain.

There is always help nearby

If you have survived the loss of a loved one to suicide, there is always help nearby. Remember:

• Talk about the loss of your loved one
• Be honest with where you’re at and what you’re feeling
• Get the help you need whenever you need it
• Don’t judge yourself – each grief is different
• Use the resources available

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: AFSP keeps a list of bereavement support groups throughout the US.
Suicide Awareness Voices of Education: SAVE has multiple resources for coping with suicide loss in addition to multiple support groups throughout California.
Suicide National Prevention Hotline: “If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 (TALK) any time of day or night or chat online.”

Need help cleaning up after a suicide?

If you need help cleaning your property after someone committed suicide, Bio SoCal is always here to take over at a moment’s notice. With suicide cleanup services throughout Southern California, we can answer any questions you have or provide a free quote and consultation. Most insurance policies cover the cost of suicide cleanup.

Bio SoCal Helps Family After Murder-Suicide in Yucca Valley

Bio SoCal’s Riverside County crew was recently on scene helping a family through a difficult time after a murder-suicide took place in Yucca Valley, CA. Trauma scenes like this always create more questions than answers but Bio SoCal is always there to help clean up the blood and other bodily fluids left behind.

After local deputies were called to a home in Yucca Valley to conduct a welfare check, they found a husband and wife both deceased due to gunshot wounds. Upon investigation, police learned the 66-year-old husband shot and killed his 64-year-old wife and then himself.

24 Hour Service for Crime Scene Cleanup and Suicide Cleanup

When such tragedies occur, friends and family are filled with grief and more questions than they can ever hope to have answered. While we know we can’t ever provide those who are grieving with the answers they seek of why they lost their loved ones in this way, we know there is one task we excel at that can help them. With compassion and meticulous biohazard cleaning, Bio SoCal is always on call to decontaminate the home where murder-suicide took place so loved ones can move forward in their grief process and complete all the end-of-life tasks now to be done. With our help, we know the survivors will be safe and free from further harm. It is our way of bringing a bit of light into a dark situation.

Leave The Murder Cleanup To Us

No family member or friend of the deceased should ever have to conduct a biohazard clean up blood and other bodily fluids after a murder or suicide has occurred. Not only is cleaning up such material without the proper safety precautions and training unsafe and dangerous, but the emotional toll it can take on top of an already deep grief would be extraordinarily traumatic. In these situations, Bio So Cal is proud to be there for our neighbors in Yucca Valley and Riverside County by cleaning the area and making it safe for all who enter, live, and work on the property. With professional equipment and strong cleaners, we can quickly clean an area, making sure every bit of body fluid is fully removed and all the space is disinfected. We can even work with your property insurance and file a claim on your behalf. Most insurance policies cover crime scene cleanup.

With fast crime scene cleanup emergency services available 24-7, you never have to wait to have a home or business in Riverside County be restored. We’ll carefully clean the affected rooms, remove all unsalvageable material, decontaminate salvageable personal belongings and all surface, and restore the property to pre-event conditions. You’ll then be able to safely access the space and recover any personal belongings.

Help Is A Phone Call Away

If you are thinking of taking your own life, someone to talk to is a short call away. Counselors staff the national suicide prevention lifeline 24 hours a day so they are always available to be a listening ear, connect you with resources, or provide a supportive shoulder to lean on.

Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 (TALK). The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals.

Our Riverside County Location Makes Us Near You For Fast Response Times

Our staff at Bio SoCal are committed to being there for the people and businesses of Riverside County and Yucca Valley. Our Riverside County location makes us near you for fast response times. If you need crime scene cleaners or if you have any questions about our services, we are always available to help in any way we can.

Our thoughts are with those who lost their loved ones in this tragedy. We hope our work was able to bring you some small comfort in this difficult situation.