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FCC Approves 988 as Suicide Prevention, Mental Health Crisis Number

posted by martyb on Wednesday July 22 2020, @10:54PM   Printer-friendly
from the now-work-on-fixing-the-causes dept.

upstart writes in with an IRC submission:

FCC Approves 988 as Suicide Prevention, Mental Health Crisis Number:

Yesterday the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) unanimously approved [(pdf)] 988 as a nationwide, three-digit phone number that people in crisis can call to speak with suicide prevention and mental health crisis counselors. All phone service providers are required to direct all 988 calls to the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK) by July 16, 2022. This includes all telecommunications carriers and interconnected and one-way Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service providers. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline will remain operational during and after the two-year transition to 988.

During the transition to 988, Americans who need help should continue to contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling 1-800-273-8255 (1-800-273-TALK) and through online chats. Veterans and service members may reach the Veterans Crisis Line by pressing 1 after dialing, chatting online at http://www.veteranscrisisline.net, or texting 838255. A transcript of the vote is posted here.

Activation of new 988 number will take a while. In the meantime, try calling "911" or:

Active and former US service members can:

If nothing else, talk to somebody. It's really important to remember that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary situation. Help is available; ask for it and don't give up.

NOTE: The above are US-centric. For those who are aware of resources in other countries, please mention them in the comments.

Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 2, Insightful) by nitehawk214 on Thursday July 23 2020, @02:11PM (1 child)

    by nitehawk214 (1304) on Thursday July 23 2020, @02:11PM (#1025391)

    You joke, but with suicide being criminalized by the state; people that are in hopelessly terminal medical conditions are forced to suffer.

    Watch a loved one die of cancer sometime, with enough pain that even dilaudid doesn't help; and I guarantee you will change your mind on "death with dignity" laws.

    --
    "Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?" -Loiosh
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  • (Score: 2) by Subsentient on Friday July 24 2020, @06:34AM

    by Subsentient (1111) on Friday July 24 2020, @06:34AM (#1025682) Homepage Journal

    Oh no, I'm fully on board with assisted suicide. Sometimes things just never get better. There is, sadly, such a thing as true hopelessness.
    I have a horrifying sense of humor where everything is fair game, but it's not that I don't care.

    In all seriousness, I've wanted to die since I was 16, still do, but people and my pets depend on me.
    There's nothing here for *me*, but it becomes an ethical issue when my absence causes such extreme suffering for others.

    So, I persist. I get up in the morning, and go about my day in what pathetic capacity I'm still able. I'm very exhausted, constantly. I have a lot of issues taking care of basic business for myself.

    --
    "It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." -Jiddu Krishnamurti