![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wkuxposure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Brodie-Curtsinger-handout-169x300.jpg\")
For people such as Curtsinger, it could mean the difference between life and death.<\/p>\n
The teen said if he had 988, he thinks it would have been \u201cone billion percent\u201d easier than googling a 10-digit number and could have lessened his attempts at suicide.<\/p>\n
One Lifeline counselor, who did not want to reveal her name, said in high stress situations, people may not have the mental capacity at that moment to look up a full hotline number.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re in emotional distress, if you were on the verge of wanting to hurt yourself or someone else,\u201d the counselor said, \u201csometimes you can\u2019t physically and mentally focus on something that much or remember that number.\u201d<\/p>\n
Like 911, 988 is \u201csomething that everyone will always know. It\u2019s something that is easy [and] fast,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
While those in charge of 988 said the number will not be active until July 16, a reporter for the Xposure Workshop dialed 988 on multiple occasions in early June, using three different cell phone numbers with three different area codes, and got through to a live counselor each time.<\/p>\n
One of those counselors was located in Kentucky and seemed surprised to learn the three-digit dialing code was active. She said they had not yet been trained on 988 and would need to speak to her supervisor.<\/p>\n
In another instance, a Lifeline counselor in Tennessee named Taisha, who did not give her last name, picked up and said she also was unaware the number was active. However, she said whether dialing 988 or the 1-800 hotline number, callers are routed to the same trained professionals.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of these services are already in place,\u201d Taisha said. \u201cIt’s just how you’re able to contact us at this 988 [number] that makes the biggest difference.\u201d<\/p>\n
She added, \u201cWe are trained how to deescalate, how to understand the format of someone who\u2019s suicidal and how to get them help.\u201d<\/p>\n
The counselor said the crisis centers are located throughout all of the United States and, \u201cof course, when you get directed to a crisis center that\u2019s more local, they’re going to be more familiar with the resources in that community.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the heart of 988 is a push to save lives, those trained in suicide prevention stressed.<\/p>\n
One counselor who asked to remain anonymous said one of the benefits of 988 is confidentiality.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome of the kids don\u2019t have the accessibility to have therapists or counselors or even have the accessibility to reach out to anyone to get that kind of help,\u201d she said. \u201cWith 988, individuals are always able to call and talk to a counselor 24\/7, no matter what time of day it is and no matter what age as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Curtsinger wanted to get help for his past attempts but due to a bad situation, said he had a distrust for therapists. Through all his experiences, Curtsinger never looked for help when attempting suicide.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I went to text my counselor and it turned out all the past visits had all been individual [counseling], my counselor would actually be texting my dad, every last bit of information I was saying,\u201d Curtsinger said.\u00a0 \u201cI wanted a counselor but my trust levels are just very low.\u201d<\/p>\n
Curtsinger first tried to harm himself in middle school, around seventh or eighth grade, he said. He started out playing a trending game called pin fingers. It soon progressed to sharp knives and eventually multiple attempts of suicide.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wondered what it would feel like if I purposefully were to self-harm myself,\u201d Curtsinger said.\u00a0 \u201cFrom that moment, I was like, imagine how much simpler life would be if my life didn\u2019t exist.\u201d<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t until an Instagram post that included a picture of his tattoo, that the aspiring journalist began opening up about his mental health struggles. Curtsinger said the post got a huge response which encouraged him to write a book.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fact that I was willing to come out and say who I was underneath the familiar smile that I kept on my face,\u201d he said, ultimately motivated him to encourage others.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf a short little snippet of my mental health can help that many people and inspire that many people, I wonder how much my full story can?\u201d<\/p>\n
So, this year, the teen self-published his book about his mental struggles entitled \u201cFeared Fighter to a Strong Survivor.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Curtsinger said he still struggles with suicidal thoughts at times, he is open to getting help and does see a future for himself.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would like to be a sports reporter or a motivational speaker,\u201d he said. \u201cOverall, entertain the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
As for Curtsinger\u2019s thoughts on 988, he said, \u201cI hope the people in the shoes of suicide hotline operators will truly realize that the importance of who they are and the effect they could have on these people’s lives who are actually calling.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
For Brodie Curtsinger, an 18-year-old incoming freshman at WKU, seven attempts at suicide may have been avoided with just three numbers. Beginning July 16, 2022, individuals experiencing emotional distress or suicidal crisis will have access to 988. It\u2019s a new three-digit dialing code that routes callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, much like 911…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":252365,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,467,462],"tags":[516,517,509,515],"staff_name":[489],"class_list":["post-252364","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","category-x22","category-xposure-2022","tag-516","tag-hotline","tag-mental-health","tag-suicide","staff_name-shelbie-heath"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wkuxposure.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/252364","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wkuxposure.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wkuxposure.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wkuxposure.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wkuxposure.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=252364"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/wkuxposure.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/252364\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":252368,"href":"https:\/\/wkuxposure.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/252364\/revisions\/252368"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wkuxposure.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/252365"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wkuxposure.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=252364"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wkuxposure.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=252364"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wkuxposure.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=252364"},{"taxonomy":"staff_name","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wkuxposure.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/staff_name?post=252364"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}