ERASING THE STIGMA OF SUICIDE
MYTH
Suicide is not very common.
FACT
Every day, approximately 108 Americans take their own life (a person dies by suicide every 13.3 minutes in the United States).
MYTH
Someone who wants to die by suicide just wants to die.
FACT
People who die by suicide do not necessarily want to end their lives. They want to get rid of bad things in their lives and the feelings of hopelessness.
MYTH
People who attempt suicide just want attention.
FACT
A suicide attempt shows that someone needs help. People who attempt suicide often think it is the only way to stop their pain. Their feelings are very real.
MYTH
A person who survives a suicide attempt will never try to end their life again.
FACT
Most people who die by suicide have attempted suicide in the past.
MYTH
Talking about suicide will make people think about dying by suicide.
FACT
Talking about suicide does not give people ideas. Talking honestly about suicide is a good way to find out if someone needs help. Talking about suicide lowers the risk of suicide.
MYTH
Only people with a mental illness think about suicide.
FACT
You do not need to have a mental illness to think about suicide. Some people think about suicide because they do not know what else to do. But many people who attempt suicide or die by suicide have a mental illness. They may not know they have a mental illness at the time. (Ninety percent of all people who die by suicide have a diagnosable psychiatric disorder at the time of their death.)
FACTS
ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF SUICIDOLOGY (2019).
Over 47,000 people in the United States die by suicide every year.
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Suicide death is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States.
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An average of 1 person every 11.1 minutes ended their life in the year 2019.
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There are 3.6 male suicides for every female suicide, but three times as many females as males attempt suicide.
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As many as 40-50% of the population have been exposed to suicide in their lifetime.