Suicide Prevention
If you are feeling vulnerable or suicidal or are worried about someone, call 911 or 988. If you or someone you know needs support now, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org
Suicide Knows No Boundaries
Suicide in youth cuts across ethnic, economic, social and age boundaries. Suicide can quickly become a tragedy for anyone. Suicide has a traumatic impact on surviving family members, friends, and the community. Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death among all Americans and the second leading cause of death among young (10-34) Americans. In 2019 (the latest year for which national statistics are available) there were 130 suicides per day or five suicides every hour in the United States.
Suicide in Alabama
Fact #1 - The suicide rate (16.4) is much higher than the homicide rate (12.0), both in Alabama and in the U.S. as a whole.
Fact #2 - In 2018 and 2019, more than 78% of all Alabama suicides were males of all races.
Why Do People Become Suicidal?
Feeling suicidal can result from a variety of risk factors and personal conditions that combine to make a person feel helpless and believe that it is impossible to change the situation. Help is available. Most people who attempt suicide, but do not complete suicide, are grateful they did not die.
Risk Factors:
History of depression, bipolar disorder, or other mental health diagnosis
A series of personal losses or number of losses and defeats taken personally
Social isolation
Believing there is no hope of feeling better
Chronic alcohol or other drug use
Easy access to the means for dying
Help is available, and you do not have to suffer emotional or psychological pain alone. Many people feel so hopeless that they believe the only thing that will end their pain is suicide. Suicide is a permanent act in response to what are often temporary problems. Please ask for help!!