Last year, Sonoma County’s 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline received nearly 22,000 calls, an increase of 47% since launching in 2022.

Suicide can be a scary topic. In general, most people are afraid even to say the word out loud. We fear that asking if a person feels suicidal will “give them the idea” or “provoke” them to act on suicidal thoughts. In truth, providing safe spaces for individuals to express themselves is a huge component of suicide prevention and a necessary resource for those who are in distress. It’s also highly effective: last year, our local 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline received nearly 22,000 calls, an increase of 47% since launching in 2022. Of those calls, 99% were resolved safely over the phone without requiring in-person intervention from emergency services.

Each of those resolved calls means a person received immediate support when they needed it most.

This resource makes a tremendous impact, but one of our biggest obstacles is bridging the awareness gap. Why is it that so few people have heard of 988? How do we break the silence that muffles our ability to see a loved one in distress and offer help?