WMU's Suicide Prevention Program does not provide counseling services.
If you are thinking about suicide or hurting yourself, or if someone you know is seriously thinking about suicide,
please seek help.
• (800) 273-8255- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
- available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and answered locally.
• (269) 387-1850 - Sindecuse Counseling Services
-Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
In case of emergency, call 911!
coronavirus and mental health
Tips to help manage your anxiety, put news reports in perspective, and maintain a positive outlook from the American Psychological Association
- Keep Things in Perspective: Remind yourself that most people who contract COVID-19 will only experience mild symptoms. There is continuous work being done to help those with underlying health conditions and senior citizens, who are more at risk for the virus. As coverage increases, it’s important to take the necessary precautions to keep yourself and your family safe and healthy.
- Keep Connected: Maintaining social networks can foster a sense of normality. Maintain these connections without increasing your risk by talking on the phone, texting, or chatting with people on social media. Share useful information from credible websites to help friends and family deal with their own anxieties.
- Get the Facts: It is helpful to adopt an analytical approach as you follow news reports about COVID-19. The U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a website dedicated to information on the coronavirus outbreak. Helpful information could also be found from local or state public health agencies.
- Seek Additional Help: If you’re feeling an overwhelming nervousness/sense of anxiety, lingering sadness, or other prolonged reactions that adversely affect your relationship with others, your job performance, etc.; you should consult with a trained and experienced mental health professional. These are the people that can help you deal with extreme stress.
Things You Can Do to Support Yourself from the CDC:
- Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including social media. Hearing about the pandemic repeatedly can be upsetting.
- Take care of your body. Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate. It is also important to eat well, get plenty of sleep, and avoid alcohol and drugs.
- Make time to unwind. Try to do some other activities you enjoy.
- Connect with others. Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling. Social distancing does not have to mean social isolation, especially with modern technology available to many of us.
**It is important to seek help if stress gets in the way of your daily activities for several days in a row**.
Reference:
Mental Health and Coping During COVID-19. (2020, March 14). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/managing-stress-anxiety.html
For more information, please visit:
The Suicide Prevention Resource Center’s (SPRC) selection of resources on mental health and coping during this difficult time at: http://www.sprc.org/news/resources-support-mental-health-coping-coronavirus-covid-19
https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/pandemics
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/managing-stress-anxiety.html
Resources to contact for help:
Suicide:
Call: 1-800-273-8255 (TALK)
TTY: 1-800-799-4TTY (4889)
Text:
“HELLO” to 741741
“STEVE” to 741741 to talk with a Person of Color
Anxious about COVID-19?
Text “HOME” to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor
Self-Harm
Call: 1-800-366-8288
Text: “CONNECT” to 741741
Mental Health:
Call: 1-800-950-6264
Text: “NAMI” to 741741
Medical Care:
Sindecuse Health Center, 700 Central Campus Drive Kalamazoo, (269) 387-3287
Food:
Invisible Need Project, Faunce Student Services Building, (269) 387-4742