Maybe It Is Time To Honestly Talk About Suicide

"Far from the electric floor
  Removed from the red meat market
  I look for a fire door
  An escape from the drums and barking
  Bereft of all social charms
  Struck dumb by the hand of fear
  I fall into the corner's arms
  The same way that I've done for years
  I'm trapped in a collapsing building
  Come find me now, where I hide and
  We'll speak in our secret tongues."

"The Woodpile" - Frightened Rabbit 

Before I rant, I want to share with you some statistics on suicide:

1. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the US
2. Each year 44,6945 Americans die by suicide or 123 people per day! 
3. For every suicide......25 attempt suicide
4. The rate of suicide has increased by 25% in the United States over the last two decades
5. The rate of suicide is highest in middle age — white men in particular.
6. Only half of all Americans experiencing an episode of major depression receive treatment
7. One in seven of those who don;t receive treatment attempt suicide

Seriously....... Just look at those statistics! 

So, can someone explain to me why, as a society, we are so afraid to talk about suicide and for that matter.....mental illness itself! 

One last statistic before my rant......1 in 4 people will experience some form of mental illness in their lifetime. 

I know I have blogged about this in the past, but why does it take the suicides of celebrities to realize that suicide is such an issue.  Within the past 3 weeks, three celebrities have committed suicide..... Scott Hutchison (lead singer - Frightened Rabbit), Kate Spade (designer) and Anthony Bourdain (chef and life explorer). 

Now for most people, the natural questions will be ....Why? How? This people had it all.... fame, fortune..... How could suicide be a possibility? 

As someone who has been diagnosed with Persistent Depressive Disorder......I can honestly say, you will never understand the why or how, if you don't suffer from a mental issue. It is very hard to explain but I need all of you to understand, depression is something that is never cured but one learns to change thought patterns to deal with it. And unfortunately, for those that suffer from it, you never know when those demons will resurface and overwhelm the thought patterns you have worked on so hard to avoid it. And I can tell you from personal experience, those demons will always be there and they have resurfaced at the weirdest times.

So what can we do?

First, as prevalent as suicide is.......don't be afraid to talk about it in an honest manner.

Second.... be aware of potential warning signs of people who may be suffering! What are those signs ........ https://www.changedirection.org/320-changes-direction/

Third..... for those left behind.......as much as you will feeling guilty, there probably was something that you could have done, as cruel as it sounds. 

Lastly.......don't be afraid to check in on those who you think are strong!

It is an epidemic that all of us can do something to lower the frequency of success. We will never stop it all but if we can stop one person.....it is a success! 

His quote below says it all! We all have far yet to go!

#stopthestigma #iam1in4