To be, or not to be...

"To be, or not to be…" Anyone who has made it through high school English probably recognizes these words from Shakespeare’s Hamlet.  Have you considered what Hamlet is talking about in this famous monologue?  To put it simply, he is contemplating suicide.

Data from the CDC indicates that suicide is a large and growing issue in the United States.  Based on the CDC numbers, someone dies from suicide every 13 minutes in the US.  And given the relatively low “success” rates of suicide attempts, that means two people attempt suicide every minute in this country.   For some demographics, suicide is a bigger killer than cancer, than drug use, than texting while driving.  Think about the times you hear about these other dangers in an average week.  Now think about the last time you heard a commercial or a discussion on how to prevent suicide.  Scary, isn’t it?

National studies indicate that about 25% of the US population will experience clinical depression in their lifetime.  Similar studies suggest that 9-10% of people contemplated suicide in the last year, with estimates that 20-25% of Americans will contemplate suicide some time in their lives.  Those numbers indicate that most of us know someone who has thought about killing themselves.

Sadly, most people have no idea how to respond to these feelings in themselves or others.  I don't mean that people don’t care.  On the contrary, I think most people would like to prevent suicide.  The problem is knowing what to say or how to react.  Luckily, you have found the answer (if you finish reading this article).  Let’s first look at some of the worst myths about suicide.  Then we will talk about how to best respond to suicidal thoughts.

NON-random acts of kindness

Most of us have read about, or perhaps been involved in, a "random act of kindness."  We hear of someone paying the bill for the car behind them in the drive-thru, or putting coins in expired parking meters.  Many people contribute to overseas efforts to feed the poor, or provide health care to the sick.  All of these are great acts of charity, and certainly contribute to helping improve others' lives.
Sometime in the effort to do the charitable acts for "random strangers," we miss great opportunities to assist someone closer to home.  In fact, there are things you could do today, right now, that would make a difference, and will inspire others as well.  AND it will only take you about 10 minutes!  How is that for a chance to change the world?