TW: Mention of suicide and suicide loss
- September: National Suicide Prevention Month
- September 5-11: National Suicide Prevention Week
- September 10th: World Suicide Prevention Day
My story as a suicide loss survivor
Having a conversation about suicide is not easy, but it is necessary – which is why I want to share my story as a suicide loss survivor and spread awareness about suicide, the stigma that surrounds it, and why we need to talk about it.
On May 29, 2021, my dad died by suicide. He struggled with depression, anxiety, OCD, and addiction for many years. The truth is, my dad was one of the strongest people I’ve ever met, but he didn’t want people to know when he was struggling. He was afraid of being perceived as weak, which is a result of the stigma on mental illness.
These past couple of months have been the hardest time of my life; losing my dad, starting my 4th year at Coastal, and trying to find a balance between school, work, my social life, and my mental health. However, in my grief, I learned that I have a voice — and that is why I share my dad’s story.
Since my dad passed, I have been going to a suicide loss support group, sharing his story, and advocating for suicide prevention on social media as well as through volunteering with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP).
Statistics
On the AFSP’s website (https://afsp.org/suicide-statistics/), you can find some of the alarming statistics on suicide, such as how it is the 10th leading cause of death overall in the U.S. (and the second leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10 and 34), how 47,511 Americans died by suicide in 2019 (nearly two and a half times the number of homicides that year), and how there were an estimated 1.38 million suicide attempts in 2019.
Stigma
On average, there are 130 suicides per day (https://afsp.org/suicide-statistics/), so why is it such a stigmatized topic? Why should we feel ashamed to talk about something that affects so many people every year? This September, Suicide Prevention Month, I encourage you to have a real conversation about suicide. Check on your friends, family members, classmates, and yourself. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help if you need it; your mental health is important. For more information about the stigma on mental illness or to pledge to be stigma-free, visit https://www.nami.org/Get-Involved/Pledge-to-Be-StigmaFree.
If you’re reading this and you are struggling with mental health, please know that you are never alone. It might feel like the end of the world right now, and I know it sounds cliché, but it will get better.
“When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” – Harriet Beecher Stowe
Prevention
According to survey results cited by the AFSP, 93% of adults surveyed in the U.S. think suicide can be prevented (https://afsp.org/suicide-statistics/). AFSP’s “Project 2025” is a nationwide initiative to reduce the annual rate of suicide in the U.S. 20% by 2025. Along with its board of expert advisors, AFSP has examined who we are losing to suicide, how we were losing them, where we are losing them, and what we can do to save lives. Moreover, four critical areas have been identified to save the most lives in the shortest amount of time: Firearms (the most common method of death by suicide, accounting for a little more than half of all suicide deaths), healthcare systems, emergency departments, and correctional systems (https://project2025.afsp.org).
Together, I believe that we can prevent suicide.
Get involved
If you’d like to get involved on Coastal’s campus, CAB and Livewell office will be partnering on a suicide awareness event on Thursday, September 9th at Prince Lawn. There will also be a campus walk held at Coastal in the Spring (date TBD). Additionally, the AFSP’s Out of the Darkness Myrtle Beach Community Walk will take place on Saturday, October 23rd at Broadway at the Beach. You can register for the Myrtle Beach Walk here: https://supporting.afsp.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.event&eventID=7766. For more ways to get involved, visit https://afsp.org/make-a-difference.
Crisis resources
- If you or someone you know is in an emergency, call 911 immediately.
- If you are in crisis or are experiencing difficult or suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273 TALK (8255)
- If you’re uncomfortable talking on the phone, you can also text NAMI to 741-741 to be connected to a free, trained crisis counselor on the Crisis Text Line.