Posted in depression, Life, mental illness

World Suicide Prevention Day

Posted on by Penny Wilson Writes

The Suicide Prevention Hotline, available 24/7 is 1-800-273-8255 

September 10th is World Suicide Prevention Day.  I have long been an advocate for Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention. I was online doing some research in preparation for this post and I came across some horrifying statistics.   

Why do I support Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention?  See the statistics below and you’ll see why I feel that this is SO important.  Most of the information in the paragraph below came from the website SAVE.ORG.  This site is a wealth of information for those dealing with mental health issues and its aftermath.  Please take a few minutes to browse the site.

Every day, approximately 130 Americans die by suicide. (CDC)

There is one death every 11 minutes in the U.S. by suicide. (CDC)

Suicide takes the lives of over 48,500 Americans every year. (CDC) 

Nearly 800,000 people die by suicide in the world each year, which is roughly one death every 40 seconds.   

These are just a few of the facts surrounding suicide rates.  There are many more, each, seemingly more horrific than the last.  These are the reasons I support awareness efforts.  

I’ve seen first hand what Depression and Mental illness can do to your loved ones and just how dangerous it can be if left unchecked.  Please take a look at my Mental Health Help Page HERE. There is a LOT of information there for you, your loved ones, or anyone that is simply interested in becoming more aware.  I’ve created lots of links that will take you directly to helpful websites and phone numbers that can be helpful as well.  There are also many articles that I’ve added to that page for you to browse through. 

Depression is the leading cause of suicide worldwide.  

Look at this list of names. I’m sure you’ll recognize several of them:  Kurt Cobain-Musician, Ernest Hemingway-Writer, Margaux Hemingway-Ernest’s granddaughter, Margot Kidder-Actress (played Lois Lane in the 1978 Superman movie), Edward Platt-Actor, Freddie Prinz-Actor, George Reeves-Actor (played Superman in the 1950’s), Kerry Vo Erich-Writer, Robin Williams-Actor, Mark Salling-Actor (played on the TV show Glee), Virginia Woolf-Writer, Sylvia Plath-Writer, Vincent Van Gogh-Artist. What do these names all have in common?  We lost each of these people to suicide.

I could have listed thousands and thousands of “famous” people, but I don’t have the time or the room for such an exhaustive list! I think I’ve made my point. 

If you have any information that you feel would be of benefit to be added to my Mental Health Help Page, or if you just need someone’s ear to bend, please, reach out to me using my Contact Page HERE.  

Please, let’s do what we can to END the stigma of Mental Illness and open our hearts to those that need the support of each of us.  We’re all in this together.  No one gets out alive.  

Thank you for joining me on this journey.  Penny ❤ 

Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay 

 

Author:

Penny Wilson is a freelance writer who writes in several genres. She has written articles for WOW Women on Writing. Her poetry has been published in online journals, such as Ariel Chart, Spill Words Press and the Poppy Road Review. Penny is a member of the Austin Poetry Society. Her poetry has been featured in the publication America's Emerging Poets 2018 & 2019 by Z Publishing and Poets Quarterly and Dual Coast Magazine published by Prolific Press. Penny is an advocate for Mental Health Awareness and has the page "Mental Health Help" on her blog. She writes about the struggles of mental illnesses and Depression. She is passionate about spreading awareness for Suicide Prevention and Domestic Abuse. She expresses her passion through her writings of poetry and life experiences. You can find more of her writings on her blog at https://pennywilsonwrites.com/ and follow her on Twitter @pennywilson123.

3 thoughts on “World Suicide Prevention Day”

  2. Penny, I remain grateful to you, beyond words, for all you do to enlighten us about mental health and to encourage. Both to get help and to be their for one another. My extended family recently lost a 14-year-old to suicide. I expect every single one of us can name individuals in our circles who have died via suicide. All the more reason to extend compassion, care and love and to erase the stigma surrounding mental health. Thank you for all you do, from the bottom of my heart. You are one of the most caring and loving individuals I’ve grown to know via blogging. I cherish you.

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