Kitty Kincaid, MTS, LSW

Executive Director, New Creation Counseling Center

25 October 2018

September was Suicide Awareness month, and even though September has come and gone, let us not forget the tragedy of suicide and the hope for prevention. There are 45,000 documented suicides a year in the United States, with 1,707 in Ohio. As shocking as that number is, it is likely very low because there are many reasons why suicides are not documented. To put that in perspective, 123 Americans die each day by suicide.  Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among our teens, second to car accidents. But, it is not just a teen problem. The largest percentage of suicide per demographic group is among white males over the age of 65. Suicide is a tragedy that hits all ages, all socio-economic groups, and all races. 

Reading statistics like the above can be overwhelming. It is important to understand the magnitude of the problem of suicide because there are effective interventions and everyone is capable of impacting this problem toward eradication. Everyone includes mental health therapists and others in the helping professionals, family members, friends, teachers, ministers, co-workers….basically all of us who interact with others.  

Suicide may become an option for people when there seems to be no better options than to end life. Of those who have completed suicide, we know that some have a mental health diagnosis, most frequently, depression. Others are experiencing a high level of interpersonal conflict, typically in the family. Substance abuse plays a factor in many completed suicides. People who have completed suicide may have had a major life change or threatened life change. Isolation is a factor in suicide as well. Although these factors in someone’s life are definitely warning signs, there are numerous other warning signs as well.

In general, a person who has thoughts of suicide may be feeling inept to communicate their distress, and feeling that no one is listening or understanding. The person may be trying to control something, and feeling that there is no hope in that area of life. The person may be facing a problem that seems overwhelming and they want to avoid the reality of their situation. 

There is help for the person with suicidal thoughts. First, we can help by talking openly with someone about their suicidal feelings and thoughts. Talking about suicidal thoughts openly neither puts the thought that wasn’t there in their mind nor encourages someone to follow through. It does just the opposite. It helps a person fully talk about their distress and contemplation of suicide so they can be more understood. We can be with the person and make sure the person is not isolated. We can protect them by surrounding them with people who care and lead them to the medical intervention they may need. We can teach people tools to cope with life’s problems. A listening ear, therapeutic intervention, a physically safe environment, a learning environment, and love and support are the keys to helping the person in distress. 

The hope for eradicating suicide is to get involved, learn more, and be an advocate! There are many resources available. To get started, check out the SAMSHA Suicide Prevention Center and the work of Dr. Darcy Haag Granello and Dr. Paul Granello at Ohio State University.  

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