Suicide claims 1,000,000 deaths per year worldwide...

And 50,000 deaths per year in the United States of America. Some of the highest percentages are in the Rocky Mountain/South West part of the USA.

In 2017, there were 38,000 deaths by suicide and that was up almost 40% in less than two decades. In 2019, it was up again by over 10,000.

I hope that these statistics shock you enough to join us in the battle!

The grid below shows 2008 - 2017, rate per 100,000 by state with Wyoming & Alaska & leading the way followed closely by the rest of the states shown here. As of 2017, the national average was 13.26, with all of these states significantly higher.

I lived and worked in Denali, Alaska in the early 1990's and remember the conversation about depression back then mainly because of the lack of daylight in the winter.

The next shocking statistic... for every human that dies by suicide, 20 more attempt to take their life. 23 years ago, I fell into this category, and in 2019 I made a commitment to make a difference in this mental health arena.

The Realize Foundation is committed to starting this conversation, creating awareness and reaching humans around the world through personal stories. Our hope is that these personal stories will deliver the message that they are not alone. We also want to create awareness for all friends and family to let them know how they can help in the most effective ways.

If you have a loved one suffering, watch this video (also on our YouTube channel) from the American Federation of Suicide Prevention, it is short but powerful.

For me personally, the tough things in my life have made me stronger and remind me daily to help others that have the same challenges. I really hope you will join me and donate to this very important cause.

#stopsuicide #depression #anxiety #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #donate #volunteer #charity #jointhemovement #blog