If you’ve never experienced clinical depression and/or suicidal ideation, it’s hard to understand how difficult connecting with help can be. Not that it isn’t available, but the profound fatigue, inertia, and hopelessness really work against forward action. I expect many mental health professionals have come to the profession through their own journey, much as substance abuse counselors are often former addicts.
Our local high school just created new ID cards (students have to carry them to swipe in every day-- literally, you can’t get in the building without one) that have the local and national suicide hotline numbers in bold on the back, along with the “QRP” reminder : Question, Refer, Promise