September is Suicide Prevention Month, a time to spread awareness and information about suicide and its severity. The aim is to educate the public about how common suicide is, the toll it’s taking on families and friends, and measures you can take to prevent it. This is all in the hopes of creating a safe space for conversation about suicide, allowing people to reach out for help, and in the end, helping to prevent future lives from being taken by suicide.

According to the CDC, 12.3 million adults in 2021 admitted that they’d experienced suicidal thoughts. 1.7 million of these adults actually attempted to take their lives, and 48,183 adults succeeded. Additionally, from those aged 10-24, suicide is the second leading cause of death.

It’s very apparent that suicide is devastatingly common, more than we might think, and needs to be addressed. Millions of lives feel so hopeless that they turn to death, and millions of lives suffer from intense grief when their loved ones are lost to suicide. 

Suicide Prevention Month is a time that allows us to acknowledge and remember those who have suffered in any capacity from suicide. It’s a time that promotes the prevention of suicide, which is so important in the world we live in today. The impact suicide has on our society is too heavy to be ignored.

So what can you do to help? During September, there’s plenty of things we can do to make a difference. Educating yourself on suicide, (the causes, the impact, etc.), can make you better informed. If our world becomes more aware of the severity of this issue, then it will be easier for us to put measures in place to stop it. 

You can check in on your loved ones and on your fellow peers. People are often going through more than you can imagine, and knowing they have some support can lighten the load. And finally, you can spread awareness yourself, so that others can do the same. The more we talk about the issue of suicide, the easier it will be for those suffering to reach out for the help they need.

If you’re struggling from suicidal thoughts, or any mental health issue, know that you’re not alone. Know that there are so many around you going through the same thing, and know that if you ever need help, there are plenty of friendly faces and resources that can help.