According to the World Health Organization (WTO), “Close to 800,000 people die due to suicide every year.” Last year, in recognition of World Suicide Prevention Day, WTO launched the “40 seconds of action” campaign to “raise awareness of the scale of suicide around the world and the role that each of us can play to help prevent it.”
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reports that, “Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death for Americans overall and the second leading cause of death among young people aged 10-34.” Suicide is preventable and there are warning signs and it is important that everyone knows them. Some warning signs are:
- Expressing hopelessness
- Threatening self-harm
- Talking about wanting to die
- Increased drug or alcohol use
- Withdrawal from family and friends
The CDC suggests that if you or someone you know are having suicidal thoughts, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1800-273-TALK (1800-273-8255) or visit the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24/7 at www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org. Your healthcare provider is also a trusted source for support and resources. You may walk-in to any of our convenient Primary Medical Care Center community clinics, or you may schedule an appointment by visiting our website at www.primarymed.com, or call (305)751-1500 for our Miami-Dade clinic, or (954)289-0000 for our Broward clinic.
Source: https://www.cdc.gov/features/preventingsuicide/idex.html
https://www.who.int/health-topics/suicide#tab=tab_1