#7: Suicide is Real but is Not the Answer

In the darkest days of having a mental illness, death may seem like the only way out. I know. I was there.

But HELP, HOPE and HEALING is always possible!

There is light at the end of the tunnel and laughter will wipe away the tears.

Forgive yourself. Forgive others. Love yourself. Love others.

You are valuable.

You deserve life, no matter what.

Some Facts on Suicide:

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. (more common than homicide)
Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death for ages 15 to 24 years.
More than 90 percent of those who die by suicide had one or more mental disorder.
One African- American dies by suicide every 4 and 1/2 hours and suicide attempts of African-American males exceed both caucasian males and females in the U.S.
The suicide rate for Asian-Americans (6.10 per 10,000) is about half that of the national rate (11.5 per 10,000)
American-Indian /Alaskan Native women aged 15-24 have the highest suicide rate compared to all racial/ethnic groups.
Although military members comprise less than 1 percent of the US population, veterans represent 20 percent of suicides nationally. Each day, about 18 veterans die from suicide.