Unfortunately, there are many people in the United States and all over the world who die each year from suicide. In fact, according to the United States’ Department of Health and Human Services, there were over 30,000 suicides in 2001. Even though this does not seem like a significant amount of people compared to the population of the United States, the rate is troubling nonetheless. This not only seems like an alarming rate of suicides, but what is being done about it? Where do those people who feel like they have no hope turn to? More importantly, how good are the clinical care settings that we have in the United States? What states seem to have the highest amount of suicides?
National Suicide Hotline
If you are considering suicide or you know someone who is contemplating suicide, if you call 1-800-SUICIDE then you will be able to speak with people who will be able to help you. These people will not only listen to you and to what you need, but they can and will be your friend when you hit rock-bottom and think that suicide is the only way out.
As it has been said many times over by thousands of people all over the world, suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Suicide won’t solve anything; if anything, it will make the people who you are surrounded with, and your loved ones, feel bad because of your death. This is not to say that one should go on living simply because others will feel pain if they’re gone. But why contemplate suicide anyway? If you truly think about the reason that you want to commit suicide for, then you should be able to realize that no reason for committing suicide is a good reason. If you are looking for some alternative suggestions to suicide, there are plenty of them around to help you through the difficult times you’re going through.
What Are Your Options?
There are plenty of alternative solutions to suicide and many of the alternatives have positive outcomes also. One step you could take in the opposite direction of suicide would be to join support groups. Finding support groups for people living with Depression and those feeling down is a good idea because you may just be able to make some new friends. As with all support groups, there are leaders for each. The suicide support groups will be able to give you resources of hospitals and crisis centers in your area so that you could go to one in case of an emergency.
If you don’t necessarily want to join a support group, you should definitely seriously consider seeking help through a professional psychologist. Before you shove this idea aside, though, just think about it for a moment. Even though many people actually dislike seeking out a therapist’s help because they think that they hate counseling, giving it a try would be the most beneficial decision to make. The psychologist will not only give you listening time, but he or she will also be able to help you through this terrible time of contemplating suicide by giving you even more things to occupy your time with. He or she will be able to help you find practical solutions to your real-life problems, situations, and dilemmas.
If you know that you are prone to suicide thoughts and actions, another thing that you can do that would be a positive step in the right direction would be to surround yourself with your friends, family, and those that truly care about you. You should let those people know about your suicidal tendencies and let them know that they are indirectly helping you through keeping you company. Friends and family can be your number one source for immediate help when considering suicide, so that makes them the most valuable resource that you have!
The United States’ national goal should be to decrease the amount of suicides each year. Even though 30,000 people to some may seem like an insignificant number when compared with the United States’ population, that is 30,000 less people than society has to benefit from. Each person is not only valuable to society, but each person has a significant role in society that they should be proud to be a part of!
Reference:
- Department of Health and Human Services (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) www.cdc.gov/
