Struggling? You aren’t alone – call for help

September is national Suicide prevention month

In the United States, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It was responsible for more than 47,500 deaths in 2019 … one death every 11 minutes.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people ages 10-34, the fourth among people ages 35-44, and the fifth for people ages 45-54, the CDC reports.

In 2019, 12 million adults seriously thought about suicide, 3.5 planned a suicide attempt, and 1.4 million attempted suicide, the CDC reports.

Between 1999 and 2019, suicide rates in the United States increased 33 percent, with a small decline in 2019.

In Yuma County, we’ve lost people to suicide. It’s not something the Yuma

Sun generally reports on, but we know it happens, and it stuns us every time. The ages span the spectrum – teens, young adults, middle aged, elderly … no one is exempt.

And looking at the statistics nationwide, we know that there are people out there, members of our community, who have seriously considered taking their own lives … and may be thinking of it today.

If you are one of those people, know you are not alone. You are someone’s everything … even if you can’t see that at the moment. Your life matters, and those dark demons in the corner of your mind telling you otherwise? They are lying. Don’t listen to them.

Instead, reach out for help.

Please, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or use the online Lifeline Crisis Chat at www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

Lifeline provides free and confidential support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The center received 2.4 million crisis calls in the U.S. in 2020 – 42,600 of which originated in Arizona. Of those 42,600 callers, 10,841 asked to be transferred to the Veterans Crisis Line.

To those 42,600 callers – thank you for reaching out, for asking for help, and fighting for yourself or your loved one.

September is National Suicide Prevention Month. If you are struggling, or you know someone who is, reach out, whether it’s to a loved one, a family member, a close friend, a medical professional or the Lifeline. And please remember, YOU are worth fighting for.