Suicide Prevention

I have dedicated most of my life to suicide prevention and risk assessment for those in crisis. It feels amiss to not advocate or educate... normally you can't shut me up about this stuff.

Below are some statistics about suicide. I find it highly unlikely that each of us has not had a personal experience with suicide; whether with someone we love or ourselves personally.

988 is the crisis hotline- similar to 911 that you would call for emergencies. Don't hesitate to reach out for you or someone you love. We are talking about saving lives here. It's hard to help what you don't know.

• In 2020, 45,979 Americans died by suicide.
  
• Suicide is the 12th leading cause of death in the U.S.
  
• Every day, approximately 125 Americans die by suicide.
  
• There is one suicide death in the US every 11.5 minutes.
  
• Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death for 15 to 24 year old Americans.
  
• There is one suicide death for every estimated 25 suicide attempts.
  
• There is approximately one attempt every 27.5 seconds.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-...hotline-number

I have dedicated most of my life to suicide prevention and risk assessment for those in crisis. It feels amiss to not advocate or educate... normally you can't shut me up about this stuff.

Below are some statistics about suicide. I find it highly unlikely that each of us has not had a personal experience with suicide; whether with someone we love or ourselves personally.

988 is the crisis hotline- similar to 911 that you would call for emergencies. Don't hesitate to reach out for you or someone you love. We are talking about saving lives here. It's hard to help what you don't know.

• In 2020, 45,979 Americans died by suicide.
  
• Suicide is the 12th leading cause of death in the U.S.
  
• Every day, approximately 125 Americans die by suicide.
  
• There is one suicide death in the US every 11.5 minutes.
  
• Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death for 15 to 24 year old Americans.
  
• There is one suicide death for every estimated 25 suicide attempts.
  
• There is approximately one attempt every 27.5 seconds.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-...hotline-number Originally Posted by Mysticalbreeze

This absolutely warmed my heart when I saw this post . You must be a very kind person with a empathy for others . I am so passionate about mental health and I don't think Americans realize how much the suicide rate is up . Pain in our nation in 2022 is the absolute highest it has ever been with suicide , alcohol and drugs . If anyone on here ever needs to talk , please don't hesitate to reach out . zero judgment . only compassion

Thank you love so much for this post and all you do for helping others

This absolutely warmed my heart when I saw this post . You must be a very kind person with a empathy for others . I am so passionate about mental health and I don't think Americans realize how much the suicide rate is up . Pain in our nation in 2022 is the absolute highest it has ever been with suicide , alcohol and drugs . If anyone on here ever needs to talk , please don't hesitate to reach out . zero judgment . only compassion

Thank you love so much for this post and all you do for helping others Originally Posted by Laurenspencer

Yes Lauren, you are absolutely right. The top three risks or red-flags are 1) chronic pain, 2) feeling like a burden, and 3) hopelessness or feeling like things are never going to change or get better. There was a slight decline or dip in suicide rates nationally (2020 statistics) but I wonder how covid is going to reflect the upcoming years data. From 2015-2020, suicide rates from active duty service members increase 41%!!!! That is just heartbreaking to me.

Thank you for being a fellow advocate! Sometimes I think we forget the importance of sitting in the room with someone suffering. It's okay to not have the answers, or be able to fix the problem, they have professionals for that, but you still can just be with them, with no judgment or pressure. That is a beautiful thing!

Suicide takes 22 veterans per day. I've known a few and you're right, it is heartbreaking. Bless both of you.

Yes bless you both for bringing this information to the board.

It’s a real problem that’s growing and it’s absolutely heartbreaking. I lost an extended family member to this several years ago as well as several friends that I knew back in college. One of them was a veteran. Such a waste. Thanks for posting.

thank you for sharing !

I really appreciate you sharing this information. Remember, suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.

Awesome of you, much respect!

I fully understand how a sucidle person thinks when you lose hope of swing a end or u should say the light at the end of the tunnel you start thinking i would be better off dead

Plus let's see how well you do without me and my help

Suicide takes 22 veterans per day. I've known a few and you're right, it is heartbreaking. Bless both of you. Originally Posted by hogmanjones

Wow, 22 veterans a day, just wow. Definitely time for a change!

Yes bless you both for bringing this information to the board. Originally Posted by Y Guy58

Thank you! Happy to bring awareness to this resource!

I really appreciate you sharing this information. Remember, suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Originally Posted by Nunyabiznas

1000% AND suicide is preventable, that is why it is SO important for continued education and awareness on this topic! One thing that has always resonated with me was the concept of risk factors as well as protective factors. So risk factors for suicide would be, for example, chronic mental illness, financial/legal problems, past trauma history, etc. However, protective factors, oh those are what keep us safe! So things like feeling connected with others and a good support network (school, friends, church), access to appropriate healthcare, and responsibility to others, so friends, family, pets even! If we can support an increase in an individuals protective factors, we foster their safety and allow time/space for growth.

It’s a real problem that’s growing and it’s absolutely heartbreaking. I lost an extended family member to this several years ago as well as several friends that I knew back in college. One of them was a veteran. Such a waste. Thanks for posting. Originally Posted by austin88998833

My first experience with suicide was my uncle when I was about 16 years old. He was rowdier, a veteran, introduced me to Kid Rock and Metallica, a child of an alcoholic and physically abused child, and unfortunately suffered a car accident that resulted in life-long chronic pain. It affected his daily functioning for sure, he often felt a burden to my aunt and cousin, relied/dependent on pain medication, and yet there was no relief physically for the pain he was in. He barricaded himself in the garage with a gun after overdosing on a substantial amount of medication. It was a hour standdown with the police who would not enter the garage without knowing the extent of weapons, etc. he might have had. Ultimately, my uncle passed away before the police were able to enter the garage.

My aunt and my cousin managed, I guess you could say... I think as a family unit we all suffered because we missed something. We knew, but maybe ignored or minimized what was really going on or the extent of his crisis. I think that is a big part of why suicide remains, despite the increase in mental health resources and better tools for clinicians. The stigma around suicide and the fear of what happens when you talk about it. I will step down from my soapbox on involuntary commitments, but really, it is very rare for a clinician to involuntarily commit due to reports of suicidal thoughts. If that were the case, we would likely all be locked up a time or two. There really has to be so much more than that, in addition to court petitions, and a Judge ruling for further mental health observation. So, I say that to say that there is no shame in talking about suicide, that because you have suicidal thoughts does not mean you are actively suicidal with means/intent, or that you are mentally ill, or that you need hospitalization.

You are so right, it is a waste. We can do so so much better! I am so sorry for the losses you have experienced as well.

Wow, hadn't heard of those protective factors before, especially pets, but it makes sense when you think of emotional support animals. With all the pets in shelters, we need to better match the supply with the demand. Again, thanks for raising the awareness!