Image credit: Gaelle Marcel for Unsplash

**TW: SUICIDE**
This post talks about suicide. Please do not continue if you think it might be a trigger for you.
There are resources listed at the end of this post.

 

Hello, fellow Warrior!

Well, it’s taken me more than three years to do it, but I’m finally writing my 100^th post! 🙂 That means a lot to me, because my moods tend to dictate what I’m willing/able to do – and I often end up with half-finished writing projects or good ideas that I completely abandon because of that. So, good for me! 🙂

Now, onto today’s post.

SEPTEMBER IS NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION AWARENESS MONTH

I have almost become a statistic a handful of times in my life. Although I’ve really only made one half-assed suicide attempt (many years ago), as far as I’m concerned, there is nothing worse than believing that suicide is one of your options.

Most people don’t understand how someone can get to that point. They don’t get how someone can feel that desperate, that hopeless. And I hope they never feel that way. But let me tell you, severe depression is all-consuming by its very nature, and it can suck the will to live right out of you. Especially after a very long battle.

I hope you have never had those feelings, but if you have, know that you are most definitely not alone. I’ve been in enough psych units (15, I think) to have seen the kind of damage long-term suicidal ideation and suicide attempts can do.

This year, I’m finally posting about Suicide Prevention Awareness Month at a reasonable time. I have almost completely missed it in the past, LOL! And, while suicide is something that requires our collective attention, it can be hard to read about. I will completely understand if you don’t want to read on.

SOME (REALLY BIG) NUMBERS

So, what do the numbers look like? Well, they’re not pretty, especially if you live in the U.S. I know I was surprised by how high some of the statistics are.

For instance, did you know that approximately 800,000 people around the world die by suicide every year? That’s one suicide every 40 seconds, plus more than 20 “failed” attempts for every “successful” one. In fact, suicide is the second leading cause of death worldwide among 15-29-year-olds.

**Note: I put “failed” and “successful” in quotes because it’s as hard to consider taking one’s life a “success” as it is to consider the continuation of a life a “failure.” I hope we start using different terms to describe these events. I don’t think it should be a success/failure dichotomy at all. It’s so impersonal.**

To bring the numbers a little closer to home, more than 48,000 lives were lost to suicide in the U.S. in 2018 (that’s the population of the suburb I grew up in!), with almost ONE AND A HALF MILLION additional attempts (that’s 1,400,000+). In addition, suicide is the second-leading cause of death among 15-19 year olds in the U.S., behind only unintentional accidents.

Apparently, being a middle-aged white man is also a risk factor for suicide, at least in the United States: They accounted for 70% of suicide deaths in the U.S. in 2018. In fact, the highest rates of suicide in the U.S. are among 52-59-year-olds (would you have guessed that??), with the 55-64 and 45-54 age groups following close behind. And though women attempt suicide more often than men, men die by suicide 3.5x more often than women.

In comparison, our neighbors up north in Canada fare better, at approximately 4,000 suicides per year. And, according to Lifeline, an Australian suicide prevention organization, that country sees just over 3,000 per year – with another 65,000 Australians attempting suicide each year. (Source)

SO MUCH PAIN

Knowing that there are so many people out there who feel as shitty and helpless and hopeless and desperate as I sometimes feel is, well, depressing. I am intimately familiar with the thoughts and feelings that lead to thinking that suicide is the answer. One of the worst things my sick brain tells me when it gets really bad is that I’m so broken that no one can help me, like I’m not even worth saving. Like I don’t matter.

I know in my heart that’s a lie, but I still believe it when I get sucked under by depression. And that headspace is hard to get out of.

I’m including some resources for you in case you ever find yourself in a position where suicide seems like the answer. Please, use them as often as needed.

CRISIS RESOURCES

NAMI  (U.S. – National Alliance on Mental Illness) – Every state has a chapter, and every chapter has its own website. Just click on the link and scroll down a tad. You’ll be able to search for your state’s chapter in the big blue box along the left side.

NAMI Telephone Helpline: 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) OR text “NAMI” to 741-741, 24/7/365

National Suicide Prevention Helpline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255), 24/7/365. There is also a Chat button at the top right of their homepage for virtual support.

(Related) National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-656-SAFE (7233) 24/7/365.

(Related) National Sexual Assualt Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). They also have Online Chat available 24/7/365.

And you can always call 9-1-1 during a mental health emergency. I’ve had to do this a few times, and though it may not have been a pleasant experience, I’ve always been treated with respect and compassion by emergency personnel.

** NAMI has created a guide to help you during a mental health crisis. You can download it here.**

 

Please don’t be afraid or embarrassed to use these resources. The people behind them are compassionate, trained professionals and volunteers who want you to feel better.

As always, thanks for reading. And remember – you are a Warrior, and I care about you! 🙂