June was a sad month in the world of entertainment. The tragic losses of Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade left many wondering, again, how could people of such success, wealth and influence take their own lives? The media covered the events well, with compassion and education. They highlighted the difficult truths around depression and suicide in the United States such as:
- An estimated 21.0 million adults in the United States had at least one major depressive episode in 2020.1
- Suicide is the 12th leading cause of death in the U.S.2
- On average 130 Americans take their lives each day.3
- Approximately 1.4 million adults in the U.S. attempt suicide each year.4
Depression and suicide are serious issues we need to be aware of and I am thankful there is increased public information about them.
But let’s look again at those numbers. Each YEAR 1.4 million adults attempt suicide. Each DAY 130 people kill themselves. But news of those kind of deaths is broadly discussed only a few times annually. That means that thousands and thousands of people suffering with the mental health challenge of depression largely go unnoticed by the wider world.
At The Well Community we are always on watch as our members struggle with major depression and other serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and schizoaffective disorder. Our goal is to provide an environment for support, recovery and help. We believe through community and supportive services, people are better able to address their mental health concerns and find ways and reasons to choose life.
When the media brings attention to notable people dealing with or being overcome by mental health conditions, would you take a moment to remember members of The Well? Their struggles don’t get much public attention, but let’s make sure they don’t go unnoticed.
Alice
Your regular donations to The Well help us serve this often-underserved part of our community. It’s easy to give online or by check mailed to The Well Community, 125 Sunset Avenue, Dallas, TX 75208.
1 https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/major-depression.shtml
2 https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-By-the-Numbers
3 https://afsp.org/suicide-statistics/
4 https://afsp.org/suicide-statistics/