1. It's real
2. It's preventable
Whatever the reason: Stress, feelings of failure, bullying, mental illness, drug addiction... It can be stopped.
90%.
90 out of every 100 suicide victims could possibly have received some kind of treatment that may have saved their lives.
I don't use the term "victim" lightly. I think many people have become desensitized or jaded by an over abundant use of the word by society and the media. For a lot of people, "Victims", are nothing more than a name for people who weren't strong enough to protect themselves.
On the flip side of society's apathy is stigma. By definition it refers to a topic that is uncomfortable to discuss and therefore rarely talked about.
If we can't talk about things like mental illness, how are we ever going to prevent these deaths?
This week, Americans all over the country are talking about suicide. They are promoting awareness and working diligently to erase the stigma that actively prevents us from recognizing the warning signs.
You don't have to know someone who has died from suicide to make a difference. Chances are you have met dozens of people who have attempted and failed, only to survive and never talk about it again. Because Stigma.
Make a difference for someone you love. For someone you have never met. For me.
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