Please, Don’t Do It – Call 988 for Help
Call 988-Help Is Out There
By D. S. Mitchell
Scary Statistics
More than 1 in 5 Americans suffer from a diagnosed mental illness and an unknown number of Americans suffer from an undiagnosed mental illness. World wide 80% of the population suffers from a mental illness at some point in their lives; some disorders as benign sounding as nail biting and bed wetting. The most familiar and the most catastrophic in their effects on the lives of sufferers are depression, anxiety, PTSD, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. In 2022, 49,449 Americans died by suicide with at least another 1.2 million Americans attempting suicide. Misunderstanding and negative attitudes toward mental illness breed misconceptions and prevent many tortured individuals from seeking help.
Holidays are Dangerous Times
The holidays are a particularly dangerous time for a suicidal person. If you, or someone you know, are experiencing any of the following symptoms please seek help.
Symptoms of suicidal ideation include:
- Talking about self harm, wanting to die, or kill oneself
- Describing life as “hopeless” without purpose, being “trapped”
- Talking about being a burden to others
- Increased use of alcohol or drugs
- Noticeably agitated, anxious or reckless
- Expressing feelings of unbearable pain
- Extreme mood swings
- Displays of rage
- Plans to “get revenge”
- Sleeping too little or too much
- Withdrawing from normal relationships, isolation
- A suicide plan
Call 988 For Help
Please, if you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, or are showing any of the listed signals, tell someone. Call for help. There is a new national suicide Hot Line. Call 988 if you are thinking about suicide. Life has so much to offer, explore it. Stick around. Suicide is permanent.
