Over the last several months, following the suicides of Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade, we have all been bombarded with suicide warning signs and prevention messages on television, radio, and especially social media. Whether it be Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or any other social media outlet, lately we can't seem to scroll for more than a few seconds without seeing someone posting or sharing a message about suicide.
That's wonderful. It truly is. Suicide is a tragic event that shatters countless lives and it needs our attention. At Bio-One we see it first hand on a much too regular basis. But why must it take the suicide of a celebrity to raise these levels of awareness? The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) lists the following statistics on their website (https://afsp.org/about-suicide/suicide-statistics/):
· Suicide is the 10thleading cause of death in the United States
· Each year 44,965 Americans die by suicide
· If you're counting, that's 123 per day
· For every suicide, 25 others attempt suicide
These are shocking numbers and they should not be forgotten about until the next celebrity commits suicide, or the suicide of a loved one affects your family. For a list of ways you can help raise awareness, visit the the AFSP website at http://www.afsp.org/. Or if you or a loved one may be contemplating suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.
