Suicide on the Rise

Last year the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention reported that South Carolina lost 753 of it�s citizens to suicide, which means that one person committed suicide every 11.5 hours. In addition, suicide was the leading cause of death for children between the ages of 10 and 14 and the third leading cause of death for those between the ages of 15 and 24.

 It was deeply troubling for me to see that my generation was essentially killing itself and to learn that my peers and classmates are involved in a constant fight with an invisible monster, and that it was winning. 753 lives ceased to exist in our state this year because of suicide. While they show up as a statistic, and that is all I will ever know about them, they were all born with individual gifts and talents and now the world has lost them forever. Nobody like them will ever exist again.

In my research on this topic, I came across a man named Josh Walfish who pinned an article about suicide while he was at Northwestern back in 2013. He wrote a passionate column in response to an epidemic of suicides that had claimed six students over the course of a year or so at Northwestern. The article opened many eyes and attracted a lot of attention. I had the opportunity to talk with Mr. Walfish about the subject. We discussed a variety of things in relation to suicide, however a few segments of our conversation really stuck out to me. When I asked him about how to prevent suicides from continuing to increase he responded saying, �I don�t know what else you can do outside of having a conversation. This isn�t like cancer or diseases in the past where we did not know the cure. We know the cure. It�s therapy. It�s having conversations.�

            However the problem with this easily attainable cure is that the topic of suicide is taboo in our modern society. As humans we do not want to discuss this morbid topic because it is so scary and depressing, but we cannot simply ignore this crisis and watch people die. I asked Mr. Walfish if he thought suicide would become a more open subject in the future and he predicted that, �People don�t like to talk about things that scare them. But I think society is moving in the right direction in being willing to talk about it. There are so many things that were once taboo to talk about that are becoming a lot easier to talk about. And I think suicide is right there among those topics.�

            I wrote this piece in order to start a conversation. I want those that read this column to keep this conversation going and bring suicide to the forefront of the problems facing our country. We have to raise awareness and combat suicide because people�s lives depend on it.

It is a difficult subject to talk about and it was a difficult subject to write about. But it is something that has to be done because suicide feeds on silence. That statistic on the number of suicides in our state will continue to increase as long as we are afraid to address the topic because we find it uncomfortable or depressing. We cannot ignore the problem and stand by idly as we see our fellow humans drown in a wave of depression and self-hatred. Suicide and depression is strengthened by loneliness and indifference, but it falls apart in the face of unity and inclusiveness.

I asked Mr. Walfish if anything had changed for him since he wrote that article when he was in college and his response spoke volumes to me and I think what he said is good advice for anyone struggling with depression. He said, �I�ve changed in the way that I have to be an adult now... but [my depression] is still there. And there�s days when I wake up and I just don�t want to get out of bed, but I�ve learned to tell myself, �Get up and get some lunch. Ok go check the mail.� You know the little things can make all of the difference. Having the support system. Having the help that I needed. All of these things have changed me.�

Conversation by itself will not stop suicides from continuing to increase in our state. It takes our society to normalize and have an open discussion about the issue and facilitate those who have these problems instead of rebuking them. That will stop suicide in it�s tracks and make the world a better place.