Suicide

Suicide.

Another famous person has ended their own life and now many people are posting about suicide. Some posts are to express grief or extend condolences. Some are to encourage people that might be considering suicide to seek help. Some are to condemn or exploit the death to share personal religious beliefs.

And some remind us that every day there are people -- ordinary people -- that choose to end their life, and very few people notice or care.

The suicide rate for US military veterans is twice the rate of the general population.
According to the Veteran's Administration (VA) from 1979 through 2014, an average of 20 vets per day surrendered their lives to suicide. From 1999 through 2010, it was 22 per day -- almost one every hour. And in 2012 there were more military veterans that died by suicide than there were military combat deaths.

Men are much more likely to commit suicide than women (every age demographic).
Whites are more likely than any other race.
And LGBTQ persons are more likely than cisgender persons.
People with strong community ties are less likely to commit suicide, making loneliness a contributing factor.
Retired and unemployed persons are more likely to commit suicide than working people,
and childless or empty nesters are more likely than those with children living at home.
Women that are suicidal are more likely to seek help than men and often exhibit signs and have failed attempts. Oftentimes, men show few signs and their deaths come as a complete surprise to the people that know them.
According to the World Health Organization, globally, someone dies of suicide every 40 seconds.
Unfortunately, teen suicides sometimes spike after a celebrity suicide and the media coverage that follows.
Russia and the former Soviet Bloc countries have the highest rates of suicide, while the Caribbean islands have the lowest rates.

Don't let this post bring you down.
Open your eyes.
Broaden your community.
And just to be safe, I think I'll start looking for a home in the Caribbean!

John <><

National Suicide Prevention Hotline 800-273-8255