LAS VEGAS, NV (FOX5) – September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Suicide is now his one of the leading causes of death in the United States. It’s a difficult topic to talk about, but doing so saves lives.

This month, the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign lights up purple to raise awareness and encourage conversation. Summerlin also just opened a new treatment center that offers new medical treatments to combat suicidal ideation.

“In Nevada, suicide is the second leading cause of death for people between the ages of 15 and 34. Many in that age group truly feel that suicide is their only option and act on it. I’m seeing it,” said Tricia Pease. She is COO of Serenity Mental Health Centers. The CDC estimates that in 2020, she killed 46,000 people, and 12.2 million had suicidal thoughts.

“In today’s social media and work-from-home culture, it can be easy to forget to engage with people you care about and take care of your mental health by going out,” Pease explains.

Serenity Mental Health has opened a new clinic in Summerlin that specializes in outpatient care. There are treatments for depression and anxiety, medications, and talk therapy, but there are also new options in the mental health field. Serenity offers two new treatments for those who have not benefited from traditional treatments.

“Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), a modification of the MRI magnet, actually allows staff to interact with neural pathways in the brain, work on processes in those neural pathways, and allow them to function properly.” said Pease.

We also offer ketamine infusions.

“Ketamine is so fast-acting that it can actually take away suicidal thoughts within hours. I have seen that I can go home and continue with my life and develop a treatment plan to stabilize it.

If you think someone you know is suicidal, let them know you have help.

“Hope is a key indicator of how people are coping with their mental health…Finding out if people have hope for the future and discussing plans for the next week or next month is a great way to start a conversation. It’s a very good way to do that,” Pease insisted.

Also, watch out for those who have trouble eating or overeating, having trouble sleeping, or being separated from their loved ones.

A national emergency number dedicated to suicide prevention was launched this summer. Its number is 988. This is similar to 911, but for mental health emergencies. You can call anyone at any time.

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