My Dearest Loved Ones,
By the time you read this letter, I will be free! Free from the pain I feel daily. Please forgive me for going out like this but I just could not continue to live with these overwhelming feelings of sadness, loneliness, depression and despair. I love you and will miss you all.
Sincerely…
I wonder if this is how actor and comedian Robin Williams, designer Kate Spade, or celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain felt one the day they took their own lives.
There are numerous risk factors that contribute to one’s tragic decision to commit suicide, including health factors like depression, anxiety, or substance use/abuse. There are also environmental risk factors such as being bullied, going through a divorce, or a financial crisis. There has even been a link between suicide and a genetic marker called SKA2 gene that suggests suicide may be hereditary.
According to the Center for Disease Control website, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. and suicide is on the rise. The suicide rate in Illinois is at 22.8%.
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), website claims there are about 123 suicides every day. That is 123 too many. The AFSP has a goal to reduce the suicide rate by “20% by 2025”.
September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. There will be an “Out of the Darkness Walk”, sponsored by the AFSP’s Rockford Chapter this Saturday, September 29, right here at Rock Valley College. Check In/Registration begins at 10am at the Starlight Theater and the walk starts at 11 am. This walk helps raise suicide awareness as well as funds to support research and create educational programs.
Suicide can be prevented. You are not alone. “If you are in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text line by texting TALK to 741741.”
Editor’s note: All images are Public Domain.
