The Taboo of Suicide If I were to ask you what’s more common in the U.S., homicide or suicide, what would you say? Homicide is certainly a lot more prominent; it’s constantly in the headlines and in our public consciousness. But the fact is that suicide is more than twice as common as homicide. The numbers for 2019, the most recent year for which we have data, show there were roughly 47,173 suicides in the U.S. So why don’t we hear more about suicide? In part because it is a very different type of tragedy. Murder represents a fractured promise within our social contract, and it’s got an obvious villain. Suicide represents –- well, what does it represent? It’s hard to say. It carries such a strong taboo that most of us just don’t discuss it much. The result is that there are far more questions about suicide than answers. Like: Do we do enough to prevent it? How do you prevent it? And the biggest question of all: Why do people commit suicide? Nearly 800,000 people die by suicide in the world each year, which is roughly one death every 40 seconds. Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death in the world for those aged 15-24 years. Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide.
Suicide Prevention is Possible Suicide is a complex public health issue that requires coordination and cooperation among health care providers, individuals and family members, treatment services and the community. Suicide is preventable. If all of us work together, we can increase the public’s awareness of this public health issue and get people the support they need.
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Here are a few ways to reduce the number of suicides: Have Meaningful Social Connections Know the Warning Signs Identify Whether You or Someone Else Has Specific Mental Health Needs Reducing Access to Lethal Means of Suicide Seek Help for Yourself or Someone Else
You can get Help... 1-800-273-8255 Call 24/7
www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org