James Donaldson on Mental Health - The efforts to combat suicide, loneliness you haven't thought about

By Aneri Pattani If you or someone you know may be experiencing a mental health crisis, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing or texting “988.” Nearly every Tuesday for a decade, Steve Siple attended a bar trivia night with friends in Birmingham, Alabama.

After moving to North Carolina, he developed a new ritual – joining other Charlotte locals on Saturdays to pick up trash along the city’s light rail.

These are more than fun outings to Siple.

Siple has battled suicidal thoughts in the past.

He lost his father to suicide, and one of his sons has struggled with thoughts of hurting himself.

That’s made Siple vigilant about protecting himself and his family.

In addition to seeing a counselor regularly and speaking openly about mental health, he prioritizes social connection .Need a news break?

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“Loneliness was, over my lifetime, one of the greatest risk factors” for suicide, said Siple, a former board chair for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

To some, this concept may seem obvious.