Throughout my life, I have come to know several people who have attempted or had thoughts of suicide, which isn’t uncommon, considering suicide is the third most common cause of death among young adults age 15-24, according to the American Association of Suicidology.
Throughout the years, a few of these people have felt comfortable enough with me to talk about when they thought suicide was their only option.
While listening to their stories, I naturally was upset and concerned for my friends. But suicide was something I really never had been educated about. I didn’t think to take any action, and once my friends assured me their problems were in the past, I continued on with my life and thought little of their stories.
With the approach of World Suicide Prevention Day on Sept. 10, I am reminded of these friends and began thinking back to what they had told me.
World Suicide Prevention Day, an event sponsored by the International Association for Suicide Prevention and the World Health Association is a day designed to raise global awareness about suicide and the fact that it can be prevented.
All week, leading up to this day, National Suicide Prevention Week, an event sponsored by the American Association of Suicidology, also is celebrated.
Considering the importance of this week and revisiting my friends’ stories, I began to wonder if I should have reacted differently once I heard them. I started thinking of all the other people throughout the world who share their suicidal thoughts, considerations or attempts with someone they trust. What do those trusted individuals do once they hear these stories? My guess is, more often than not, they don’t do much — not because they don’t care but simply because they don’t know what to do.
This week of awareness has made me realize how important it is to take suicidal threats seriously and to educate yourself. You never know if someone you care about could be struggling, and by learning the warning signs of suicide, you could help save his or her life.
Or maybe they have made suicidal attempts in the past. Knowing what to do after an attempt is made — at MSU, such knowledge could be acquired by going to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center in the Counseling Center — can help prevent a similar situation from occurring.
These days, there seems to be so many causes to recognize, as well as days, weeks and months dedicated to awareness that it can be hard to keep track, but this weeklong event is one I am happy to support. Events such as these are important because they bring about awareness to topics that truly are deserving of attention. They ensure that confidants like me won’t miss out on saving a life.
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