Greensboro's African American Community Newspaper since 1967
September is suicide awareness month. In 2023, there were 49,316 suicides in this country. That is 14.2 deaths per 100,000 people, which is like the numbers recorded in 2022. Suicide is one of the top nine causes of death among people aged 10 to 64. Can you believe it? One person dies by suicide every 11 minutes in the United States.
There are various reasons why people self-harm. It is reported that 12.3 million people have thoughts of harming themselves. Life can be hard, and different people react in different ways to the stressors of life.
Though there may not be typical reasons a person may contemplate suicide, some reasons are the feeling of being a burden, feeling victimized, chronic physical pain, psychological pain, guilt, helplessness, hopelessness, loneliness, loss, rejection and/or shame.
Challenging life situations may also influence a person to think of self-harm, such as legal challenges, the death of a loved one, the breakup of a relationship, the loss of a job and/or financial troubles.
Life traumas may also influence self-harming ideas, such as bullying, emotional neglect, sexual abuse, and/or physical abuse.
Women attempt to self-harm more than men; however, men die of suicide more. Though suicide may occur at any age, most often it is seen between 25 and 44 years of age. Black and Hispanic individuals will complete self-harm at earlier ages than White individuals.
Note that marginalized communities, such as LGBTQ+ communities, have a higher self-harm rate. People with disabilities are three times more likely to report suicidal ideation. Veterans, people in rural communities and other Indigenous communities are disproportionally affected by self-harm.
Mental illness also increases the risk of self-harm.
If a loved one is having suicidal or self-harming thoughts, do not panic. Try to get them to be open and talk about what is troubling them. Ask if they have a plan? Do they have access to firearms, pills, or other ways of harming themselves? Encourage them to seek help. If it is you, seek help. Dial 911 or the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 988 or text HOME to 741741 to access the crisis text line.
Listen to them. If YOU are having suicidal or self-harming thoughts, again call 988. People are here to help and to get you through tough times.
Dr. Veita Bland is a board-certified Greensboro physician and hypertension specialist. Dr. Bland’s radio show, “It’s a Matter of Your Health,” can be heard live on Wednesdays, 5:30 p.m. on N.C. A&T State University’s WNAA, 90.1 FM. Listeners may call in and ask questions. The show is replayed on Sirius 142 at 5 p.m. on Wed. Email Dr. Bland at ideas@blandclinicpa.com.
