American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

Understanding and Compassion

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Suicide is a difficult thing to grasp or absorb. That is partly because of ignorance about suicide, which in turn is driven by the stigma around suicide and mental illness. The truth is that there’s much that every one of us can do to prevent suicide, if we put out hearts and minds into it.

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Many experts agree that fighting stigma has a big role in the effort. Suicide has complex causes, and often mental illness is a big factor. The stigma prevents too many people from seeking help, and prevents others from reaching out or providing appropriate support to people in need. A writer for The Mighty has this advice for us: “Talk about all of those topics that are taboo, get information, make them come alive, so if someone comes to you with a mental condition, they know you will listen.”

A good place to start, if you haven’t done so already, is the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). Its website provides quick resources about Suicide Risk Factors and Warning Signs, and how to Find Support if you are having thoughts of suicide or are worried about someone who might be at risk.

Want to help more? AFSP has a Take Action web page with opportunities to get involved in suicide prevention.

Memo to “Good Morning America”

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“It’s the top of our morning show. We don’t want suicide on the brain.”
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That’s how ABC’s Good Morning America asked a group of dedicated, t-shirted, poster-holding suicide prevention campaigners to scram during GMA’s live broadcast on September 8. That’s according to one of the group’s leaders, Jill Harkavy-Friedman, a Columbia University professor and head of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s research program.

When the No. 1 morning show (four million plus daily viewers) flinches from this subject during National Suicide Prevention Week, we know there’s a lot more to be done in raising awareness about mental illness—even among the journalists whose mission is to educate viewers about issues of public interest.

Memo to GMA: Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States, and the second leading cause of death among Americans between the ages of 15 and 24. A fact sheet from the Centers for Disease Control describes suicide as “a significant problem in the United States,” pointing to data:

—41,149 people killed themselves in 2013.

—Suicides result in an estimated $44.6 billion in combined medical and work loss costs.

—Over 494,169 people with self-inflicted injuries were treated in U.S. emergency departments in 2013.

After her experience with Good Morning America, Harkavy-Friedman recalled in The Mighty:

We were in such good moods, standing there in our colorful shirts: far from a dour image that would have brought any early morning viewers down. We were ready to happily answer questions like, “What can we do to prevent suicide?” and, “How can you start a conversation with someone you’re worried about?” Simply giving people the answers to these questions saves lives.

Out of the Darkness

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Take a walk this weekend and raise money for suicide prevention…

Out of the Darkness is an annual fundraising and awareness-raising walk put on around the country by local branches of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). The Ithaca walk is Saturday, September 17, from 12 Noon to 2 p.m. Registration begins at 10:30 a.m. at Cass Park in Ithaca, and walkers proceed along the scenic Cayuga Waterfront Trail.

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The Ithaca folks are well short of their $42,000 goal, so they need many more walkers-fundraisers. As of Monday they reported that 127 walkers have signed up with pledges of $5,206.00 Click here for details on how to get involved.

You can also make a donation online, either through a walk participant or directly to the AFSP.

From the Ithaca walk’s website:

When you walk in the Out of the Darkness Walks, you join the effort with hundreds of thousands of people to raise awareness and funds that allow the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) to invest in new research, create educational programs, advocate for public policy, and support survivors of suicide loss.

AFSP’s mission is to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide. Its five core strategies include funding scientific research; offering educational programs for professionals; educating the public about mood disorders and suicide prevention; promoting policies and legislation that impact suicide and prevention; providing programs and resources for survivors of suicide loss and people at risk.

Learn more about the work of the AFSP.