Charles

It is a sad day when loved ones are left to make sense of why someone “DIED BY SUICIDE”!

I have worked on a suicide awareness run/walk for about 3 years and I learn something new EVERYDAY!

The signs and symptoms are very easy to learn and can be found on http://www.afsp.org . That site has all you need to find the resources to help save a life OR get the help you may need.

We have a saying in our support groups… “Better mad then dead”!

*DO NOT feel ashamed to ask someone if they want to hurt them self or attempt suicide. They almost always will answer you.

*DO NOT LEAVE THAT PERSON ALONE. Call 911 if you need to and above all expect them to share their feelings.

*LISTEN to what they have to say. DO NOT tell them they are selfish or seeking attention. THEY ARE NOT! They believe the world will be better off without them and cannot rationalize that type of thought during the last few days, hours, etc..

*Suicide is a disease of the brain, but it’s also a subject which carries an extreme stigma.

*People are not willing to talk about how they feel, since we have been taught to “be strong” and “don’t let them see you cry”!