Suicide: education leads to prevention

Six months ago, a 24-year-old woman from Franklin Square took her own life. Two weeks ago, a 24-year-old Franklin Square man killed himself in his parents’ home. A close friend of both of them said they seemed happy. They were both athletic, had great senses of humor and smiled for every photo.

Most people didn’t know that they were both suffering from depression. A month before he committed suicide, the young man was out with a group of friends and said he was happier than ever.

Suicide is real, it is happening right here in Nassau County, and we need to do more to prevent it. It has been the 10th-leading cause of death in the nation since 2008, and it is the third-leading cause of death for 10- to 24-year-olds and the second-leading cause among college-age students. More than 34,000 people die by suicide in the United States each year.

In 2008, 86 of 10,840 deaths in Nassau County were ruled suicides, and the number has steadily increased each year since 2004. The true total is likely much higher: Due to a lack of evidence after many suicides, such as a phone call or letter, they are sometimes recorded as unintentional. Additionally, families often choose not to report deaths as suicides due to their religious beliefs or their desire for privacy.

So what can we do to help prevent suicide in the county? Most important, we need to be educated. Prevention is difficult without knowing the signs that someone is suicidal, which are often symptoms of depression — 90 percent of people who take their own lives have depression-related illnesses. Significant behavioral changes, including major changes in eating or sleeping patterns and serious talk of feeling lonely, hopeless or sad, are indicative of depression.

We also need to talk about suicide openly, so that those who battle suicidal thoughts aren’t ashamed of it and we become more aware of who is at risk, how to talk to loved ones suffering from depression and when to seek help.