Suicide Awareness and Prevention

Written by Michele Wheat

Everyone faces situations that we might consider hopeless. For many, situations arise such as unexpected death of a loved one, divorce, loss of job and others, that present great amount of stress and can lead to depression. How people handle that depression and stress is very important. Many people will use the stress and the adversity to become stronger and work harder to achieve success. Unfortunately, many others will not be able to handle the situation and feel that the only solution would be to take their own life.

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. In fact, it is the 10th leading causes of death, and it claims approximately 44,000 people every year. Statistics show that men are more likely to commit suicide than women. And, among youth, suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death.

Suicide is an increasing problem with people that facing what they believe to be insurmountable problems. People that are facing these problems are dealing with bouts of depression and need to receive help from relatives, friends, or professionals in the field of mental health. The important thing for people is to look for warning signs of people you know. These signs include talking about suicide, talk about how they can kill themselves, being socially withdrawn and other signs.

If you believe that someone you know is contemplating taking their own life, it is important to talk to them and look to seek help. An alert person may be the best way to prevent a suicide.

We hope this information is helpful in learning about the problem of suicide, and what to look for to see if someone you know may be contemplating suicide. Please feel free to share this information with others.