Mental health coach Paige Gaines is sharing her story as part of A Different Cry, a three-part docuseries and investigation into Black youth and suicide by WXIA in Atlanta.
“The numbers have continued to rise since about 2016, 2017,” Gaines says, noting studies based on recent CDC figures, which were highlighted in a 2021 study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. “That’s what led me to this. African American men, African American boys are more likely to attempt suicide than white men and white boys. African American females and African American young girls are attempting higher as well. So, it’s been a continuous rise in numbers.”
Yet discussing suicide and therapy remains taboo within the Black community. It’s a challenge that Gaines — who works with Mental Health America of Georgia as a Certified Peer Specialist — wants to overcome.
Asked what concerned friends and family should do if they suspect that a loved one is feeling suicidal, she has a simple solution — just ask them.
“There’s a myth that if you ask it, you’re implanting that idea in their mind and that’s not true,” Gaines says. “You’re actually creating some relief for them. You’re saying, ‘Hey, I see you. I see that you’re struggling and I’m just wondering if you’re thinking of not wanting to be here anymore.'”
“[By asking] that question, you’re able to offer that individual resources, immediately asking them what they need,” she adds. “You’re able to step in before they have an attempt and potentially save a life. I’ve never had the experience of somebody being offended by me asking that question.”
Read more at People.com.
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