May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and it's important to start having conversations about difficult topics like suicide. It's easy to think it's not relevant to us, but the truth is suicide affects people from all walks of life.
I've heard stories from my cousin who lost his father to suicide at the age of 12, to my high school friend who left behind a wife and four children, to a director I worked with who always came to work with a smile on his face. Suicide doesn't discriminate.
In 2022, an estimated 49,449 people died by suicide, according to the CDC. That's an increase of 2.6% from the previous year. The rates for males and females were 22.8 and 5.7, respectively.
It's time to start the discussions and outreach, especially to rural areas. Let's work together to break the stigma and provide support for those who may be struggling.
988 is theNational Suicide Prevention Lifeline. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.
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