According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide rates have increased in almost every state over a nearly 20-year period ending in 2016, with almost 45,000 lives lost to the tragedy that year.
Stories of survival save lives
The shocking news of Kate Spade’s and Anthony Bourdain’s deaths may have felt personal to many of us, even though we had no direct relationship with them. Aside from our attachment to their shows and products, their deaths may have also reminded many of us about friends and loved ones whom we have lost to suicide. Surveys indicate that half of us know someone who died in this manner.
However, in the wake of these tragedies, many more of us may be saying: I am so glad to have survived my time of darkness. Few know that every year, for every one person who dies by suicide, there are about 280 other persons who think seriously about suicide but don’t kill themselves. These are typically untold stories of suicide prevention, stories that are teaching people in this field how we can all get through such difficult times in life. Sadly, most people haven’t heard these stories.
Read more at USA Today…