For a person suicide means that the pain will never get worse.

But it asking means it will never get better but I heard from a former cop that saw a lot of these that there was no way it was ever going to get better.

I hope that I am not opening wounds by posting about this. In my career I’ve dealt with about a dozen teenage suicides all kids I knew and worked with at a small alternative high school. TigerDore is on to what is often the cause; long term mental health issues. Years ago, I saw a written reminder of this: “people don’t die from suicide, they die from untreated mental illness.” To be sure, other factors are involved as well; as with many tragedies in life there are often no simple explanations nor fixes.

I’ve also been involved in situations where kids have gotten the help they needed and are now out living a life of meaning and purpose.

What have I learned?

If I have information that someone is exhibiting signs of a potential suicide, I make sure that I have the necessary resources at hand and have a private place to talk then I simply ask: “Are you thinking of killing yourself?” (Trust me, that is a tough question to ask) And I wait for a response. I assure them that I am not judging nor am I condemning them but that I want to help. When it’s the real deal almost all of the times a sense of relief (and sometimes tears) come to the person’s demeanor. I carry a card with information on local mental health services which also has local crisis line phone numbers. I get them connected and don’t leave them alone.

Below are resources that can provide expert help and hope:

Risk factors and warning signs


National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Phone number:
1-800-273-8255

VA Crisis Line
1-800-273-8255 (yes, same number as above).

PTSD: National Center for PTSD
1-800-273-8255

From the National Institute of health:

“According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) WISQARS Leading Causes of Death Reports, in 2017:
Suicide was the tenth leading cause of death overall in the United States, claiming the lives of over 47,000 people.
Suicide was the second leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10 and 34, and the fourth leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 35 and 54.
There were more than twice as many suicides (47,173) in the United States as there were homicides”

Link

Silent