Hey John,

Today I want to talk about something heavy. September is Suicide Prevention Month, and I would be remiss not to do everything I can to share out some resources.

988

👆🏿That's the new Suicide and Crisis Lifeline that just launched last year. You can call or text 988 and get connected to a qualified, confidential counselor right away.

We need to get this number as widely known as 911. I implore you to tell your friends, family, and community about this new resource -- you never know who may need to hear about it.

That brings me to another point. I really want to encourage you to talk about mental health with your people. Holding things inside -- trust me, it doesn't work and it doesn't help anything.

Right after I was elected to office, my family and I suffered a number of intense losses of loved ones in rapid succession. I didn't give myself a chance to grieve or process that stress and trauma. Instead, I was not exercising, not eating right, drinking a little too much, and living a real unhealthy lifestyle. It took a health scare at the doctor's office to shake me out of it -- but I never should have let it fester that long.

The official 988 website has a ton of helpful resources, including some for specific communities like my LGBTQ+ siblings, youth, neurodivergent folks, and much more. Here's a page specifically for Black Mental Health with a bunch more links to groups focusing on us.

Don't wait for it to get bad. Prioritize your well-being right now. Trust me, there's a whole lot of people who want to see you safe and happy. These resources can help connect you to some of them.

Peace and love,

Jamaal