We hear about the death of a favorite performer and then hear that they died at their own hand. A friend or relative dies suddenly and there are whispers that he took his life, but shh don't talk about it. Well we need to talk about it and that is what today is about.
An estimated one million people per year die by suicide or about one person in 10,000. Suicide rates in the United States have risen nearly 30 percent since 1999 according to the Centers For Disease Control. The CDC also says that nearly 45,000 people in the US died by suicide in 2016. (Numbers for last year are incomplete).
Every September, the month is used to focus on prevention and awareness and World Suicide Prevention Day is a special awareness day observed on September 10th every year. It should not just be when a friend or famous person dies. We need to remember that it can happen any time to any person. Think about those numbers. We can get them lower, but we need to focus on it and we need to care about it. Human beings can do anything. This year's theme, "Working Together to Prevent Suicide," really says it all. We need to work together.
Putting an end to hate and bullying is a great place to start. Openly talking about our feelings is important too. Nobody should ever feel like they are alone. Reach out. Be present. Get involved. Talk to professionals. Find out other ways to help from The Trevor Project at https://www.thetrevorproject.org/ and take note of the National Suicide Prevention Hotline HERE.
No comments:
Post a Comment