Did you know over 42,000 people every year die by suicide? That is one person every 12.3 minutes or almost 5 deaths by suicide every hour of the day! Recent research estimates that for each death by suicide, 147 people are exposed (6.3 million annually). Among those exposed, 18 per loss experience a major life disruption.
Suicide Prevention Week is Sept. 5 – 11, 2016. During this week, individuals and organizations around the country and the world broadcast the message that suicide can be prevented. The goal is to reach as many people as possible with the tools and resources to support themselves and those around them.
What can you do?
1. If you are thinking about suicide, please talk to someone – a trusted family member or friend, a chaplain or faith-based person, a mental health professional, your medical doctor, a coworker, or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273 TALK (8255). People do want to listen and to help.
2. Learn about the warning signs of suicide. Many people do not know the signs – but how can you recognize someone is at risk if you don’t know what you are looking for? Check out www.suicideispreventable.org or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to learn more about what to look for.
3. Add the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) to your phone’s address book (thanks to Dr. Ursula Whiteside for this idea). If you, or the person you are talking to, are a veteran in crisis, call 1-800-273-8255 then press “1” to connect to someone trained to help Veterans and other Service Members in crisis.
Suicide prevention is everyone’s business, and anyone can participate in National Suicide Prevention Week. Find out more about joining this collective call to action by visiting www.iasp.info or the American Association of Suicidology.