TW: May be a sensitive topic for readers.
Someone kills themselves every forty seconds according to the World Health Organization.
Every forty seconds a loved one is lost.
In a 90-minute class, 135 people have died.
That number doesn’t account for the countless people who attempted to kill themselves. That means in a twenty-four-hour period 2,160 people have killed themselves. 2,160 people will never be able to see the sunrise or listen to their favorite song again. 2,160 will never see the first snow fall on a cold winter’s evening or have hot cocoa after a day in the snow. They will never hear the crunch of leaves in the fall or sip a cold drink on a hot day again. This person’s family and friends will be forever crushed at the thought that they will never hear the words “I love you” again come out of their mouth. Family and friends will never again feel the warm embrace of their hug. Every forty seconds a human life is lost to suicide.
In the same time it takes to tie your shoe, a person has committed suicide.
September is national suicide awareness prevention month. A month dedicated to “increased awareness and improve lives”, according to the mission statement from the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI). NAMI has been around for “forty years to support those affected by suicide,” according to Elaine Demello from the New Hampshire branch. NAMI helps people all year round with suicidal thoughts as well as mental illnesses. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death for people ages between 15-24. Yet, it’s also one of the most preventable diseases, according to the Center for Disease Control.
It’s time to check in on friends when they start becoming “excessively worried, more irritated than usual, change in sleep and eating habits,” according to the JED foundation. JED is a “nonprofit protecting the mental illness of young teens and adults” according to Manuela Mcdonough, Director of Public Relations for JED. Mcdonough says to use resources, like seize the awkward, to start those difficult conversations.
One way to help prevent suicide is by doing mental health check-ins with your friends. “Getting them connected could be a life saver,” Demello said. Point your friends, classmates, and others in the direction of where to get help. Just because it is suicide prevention month does not mean only check in on friends this month. Check in on those around you all year round. Suicidal ideations grow if they are not taken care of in a timely manner.
“There are so many resources chats, calls… Having that initial conversation can really help someone,” Mcdonough mentioned. Suicide is not only a September issue, but a yearlong issue.
Call 1-800-273-8255 to talk with a free confidential counselor from the JED foundation, or text NAMI to 741-741 to connect with a trained crisis counselor from the NAMI foundation. Both numbers are there to help those who are in a crisis 24 hours a day, seven days a week, three hundred sixty-five days a year.
Please know that someone is always there to listen.
(To talk to someone please call 800-273-8255 the national suicide prevention line. If you are in immediate danger, call 911)
