A lot of people in the United States live with suicidal thoughts.
One study suggested that about 15% of Americans will have suicidal thoughts in their lifetime. About 40,000 Americans die by suicide each year.
I could tell you more statistics too, like how more than half of those are by firearm or how men are three and a half times more likely to die by suicide than women. I can tell you a lot of statistics. And those statistics are important. But for most of us, they're just numbers.
This is a situation that, unfortunately, some of us might have to deal with one day. And it can be incredibly scary.
But there are things we can do and words we can say that situation. Dr. Christine Moutier, chief medical officer for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, gave me a few tips for how to start that conversation:
1. Trust your gut.
2. Be the one to take action.3. Don't worry about being the "right" person.4. Set up a heart-to-heart.5. Once the conversation is started, say what made you worried.6. Then just listen.7. If you're still worried - even a little bit - ask directly about suicide.
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