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September is Suicide Prevention Month

Star Beacon - 9/23/2022

Sep. 23—This September, many of people are thinking about school, or going to an apple orchard, or maybe even enjoying the start of autumn weather on a porch.

But for others, September is National Suicide Prevention Month, a time to focus on people lost to suicide, as well as on ways to decrease these losses in the future. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in United States.

Suicide was the 12th leading cause of death overall in the United States, claiming the lives of over 45,900 people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Suicide was the second leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10-14 and 25-34 , the third leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 15-24, and the fourth leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 35 and 44.

In 2020, there were nearly two times as many suicides (45,979) in the United States as there were homicides (24,576).

According to the Ohio Department of Health, Ohio averaged about 130 suicides a month in the first six months of 2022. The month of March 2022 saw the highest number of suicides at 140, according to ODH.

When comparing deaths per month by year, January 2020 (145 deaths) and July 2020 (162 deaths) were the months for which 2020 had the highest number of deaths. In 2021, suicide deaths were higher in February (127 deaths) and April (133 deaths).

It's important to stay aware of potential warning signs for suicide risk remembering the acronym IS PATH WARM, which stands for:

—Ideation: Is the person saying or otherwise communicating a desire to end their life?

—Substance use: Is the person using drugs or alcohol more often than they used to?

—Purposelessness: Is the person saying or feeling that they don't have a reason for living?

—Anxiety: Is their anxiety dramatically increased lately, and does this affect their ability to sleep?

—Trapped: Are they having trouble seeing the light at the end of the tunnel?

—Hopelessness: Are they saying that things are never going to get better for them?

—Withdrawal: Have they started withdrawing from family, friends, or their responsibilities?

—Anger: Has their anger become a lot worse lately?

—Recklessness: Are they making much more reckless decisions?

—Mood Changes: Has there been a noticeable change in their mood lately?

Ashtabula County fifth in Ohio in suicide rate.

Statistics on suicide in the U.S.

—Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States.

—More than 47,500 Americans took their own lives in 2019.

—In 2019, 12 million American adults seriously thought about suicide, and 1.4 million made an attempt.

—More than 10 Canadians die by suicide every day.

—Suicide rates are on the rise in the United States, increasing by 33 percent since 1999.

—For every death by suicide, at least seven to 10 survivors are significantly affected by the loss.

How to help someone:

—Call 911, if danger for self-harm is imminent.

—Ask the person if he or she is thinking about suicide. Listen without judgment.

—Remove any objects that could be used in a suicide attempt.

—Stay with the person until additional help arrives.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Lifeline provides confidential support to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Support is also available via live chat.

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(c)2022 the Star Beacon (Ashtabula, Ohio)

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