Suicide is often a silent killer.
Not only has it softly become one of the leading causes of demise in the U.S ., but it’s often the hesitation and fear of speaking up and asking for help that makes suicide looks a lot like the only option.
In a way, our silence is killing us. And this is particularly true for men .
In a gut-wrenching new PSA from the Movember Foundation, a nonprofit focused on men’s health, boys read aloud old suicide notes they’d written to loved ones years ago, after they’d decided to kill themselves.
Thankfully , none of them followed through. They decided to speak up instead.
It’s a gripping reminder that “suicide notes talk too late” when it comes to accessing care :
As the PSA hints, far more boys die from suicide than women.
While suicide rates have surged to 30-year highs across many demographics in the U.S. with alarming spikes among both middle-aged women and young girls boys are still much more likely to kill themselves overall, according to data from the CDC.
“Globally, the rate of suicide is alarmingly high, in particular in boys, ” as Movember’s website points out. “Too many boys are ‘toughing it out, ‘ continuing their sentiments to themselves and fighting in silence.”
Tell the men in your life that it is smart to take care of our #mentalhealth! #WednesdayWisdom #StopSuicide #NSPW16 pic.twitter.com/ cbnu6 1YvmR
Suicide Prevention (@ afspnational) September 7, 2016
One particular subgroup of men, nonetheless, has been especially affected.
As FiveThirtyEight reported, middle-age white boys living in the American West are three times as likely to die from suicide than “the member states national” median . Locals in Wyoming a state where approximately 8 in ten suicides are boys blame it on the cowboy-up attitude: pull yourself up by the bootstraps and carry on.
Call it whatever you want, but the “tough it out” strategy and the “cowboy-up” mentality are precisely the incorrect ways to take care of your mental health.
Gender standards hurt both women and boys, and nothing exemplifies that better than the difference in suicide rates.
As sons, we’re taught not to call. As teens, we’re told to suck it up.
It’s no ponder research suggests boys are less likely to reach out of providing assistance when fight with depression, substance abuse, or stressful life events.
Men are told time and time again that opening up and proving feeling is a form of weakness, even though it can be the bravest, strongest thing a person can do .
Starting that dialogue can save your life.
If you’re depressed or having beliefs of suicide, today is the day to get help.
National Suicide Prevention Week is a campaign is targeted at curbing the stigma surrounding mental health and encouraging folks to access care.
But there really isn’t an ideal week to reach out for help.The sooner you speak up, the brighter future developments looks.
Need help ? You can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800 -2 73 -8 255, or learn more at the Movember Foundation’s website .
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