September is National Suicide Awareness Month and I have been meaning to talk about this for a while, but admit that this is hard for me. Eight years ago my older brother committed suicide. He had been struggling for years with depression, and attempted a few times, but seemed to be in a good place. His birthday is in September, and he would have been 44 this year.
We never know how someone is suffering. We never know what their demons may be. We all admit to feeling shocked, appalled, angry and/or heartbroken when we hear about something committing suicide, but sometimes we also feel alone. Suicide isn't talked about except when we bring attention to it in "suicide awareness month", but it needs to be talked about more often. I hesitated sharing my story for a long time because I don't want to hear people's well meaning advice or criticism. How often do we hear people say negative things about those that commit suicide leaving the survivors to mourn alone? Or how often do we shame people into not getting the help they need because we don't talk about the hard things? LIFE IS HARD!! and we should support each other ALWAYS!!
So, I wanted to share some interesting facts: statistically suicide is higher among white middle aged males. Suicide has increased across the country but is highest in higher elevation states such as Montana, Alaska Wyoming, Utah and Idaho. Veterans account for 14% of suicides nationwide though they make up only 8% of the U.S. population (according to the most recent VA report
).
While we may not always know if someone is thinking about suicide, there are some warning signs:
If you or someone you know are struggling with these thoughts and feelings, there is hope and help. I have the National Suicide Number and information at the top of the page or you can contact me. Make it a point to talk to those you love and be a source of help, not hindrance. There is no shame in getting help for you or the ones we love. I wish I could give my brother another hug or tell him how much he means to me. In the meantime I will continue to spread awareness. Please contactme if you are in need of help.