The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) calls suicide one of most urgent mental health issues of our time, and each September is a time to draw additional awareness to the issue with Suicide Prevention Awareness Month or Suicide Prevention Month.
We agree that it’s a huge issue.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 49,000 died by suicide in 2023, with the agency pointing out that’s one death every 11 minutes.
The agency also indicates millions seriously think about, plan for or attempt suicide.
Unfortunately, suicide is something that affects way too many of us in one way or another.
We’ve known people over the course of our lives who seemed happy and well-adjusted (although they, like all of us, had hardships) before finding out much later they had attempted to take their own life on multiple occasions.
We have friends who have lost immediate family members to suicide.
One of the first enterprise stories we dug into after joining The SUN’s reporting staff centered on the astronomical suicide rate in Archuleta County at that time. That was a difficult time for the community, with more folks than average having to deal with the losses of loved ones through tragic means, and our first responders had to respond to and work those scenes more frequently.
We’ve also received at least one posthumous letter here at The SUN explaining why the author was choosing to take their own life.
And we know for many, it’s hit much closer to home.
It’s absolutely heartbreaking.
But we firmly believe suicide is preventable, and all of us can take part in providing a society that values mental health, connection, and seeking help if and when you need it.
“#SuicidePreventionMonth reminds us that talking about suicide isn’t harmful — silence is,” the NAMI website states. “One honest conversation can be a turning point in someone’s life.”
The organization invites everyone to share messages about suicide prevention “through the power of courageous community conversations.”
If you’d like to help and don’t know how, several resources, such as NAMI and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, offer a plethora of resources and information about suicide, its warning signs and more.
If you’d like to be more prepared by knowing some of the warning signs and risk factors of suicide, NAMI offers a list at https://www.nami.org/about-mental-illness/common-with-mental-illness/risk-of-suicide/.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, please call or text 988 immediately.
Talk to someone. Find help. You’re worth it.
Randi Pierce
