Suicide is something most people would like to be a lot less familiar with. I suspect most of us have known someone who has killed themselves. I know I have.
Several years ago, a friend of mine killed himself. It happened less than 24 hours after I had last seen him.
I had gone over to the courthouse to speak with an official and bumped into my old friend. He was there to see the same official.
We waited around for approximately 30 minutes chit-chatting about this and that. My friend talked about his wife and daughter for a good bit. I had no clue anything was wrong with him. He seemed fine.
When the official we were waiting to speak with got a break, I talked to him first since what I needed was only going to take a couple of minutes. I said my goodbyes to the official and my friend and left. It was the last time I spoke to him.
The next morning, I was sitting in our Corbin office when our then Publisher Trent Knuckles walked in the door and announced my friend had killed himself.
I was shocked. I was stunned.
“I just spoke to him less than 24 hours ago!” I exclaimed.
As someone who is more than a half century old, I can attest some memories fade with time. Unfortunately, I doubt this one ever will.
It still bothers me to think about it, and I suspect it always will.
A few years after this, a friend of mine stopped by my office. He confided in me after his wife died, he had gotten low emotionally. I mean really low. He had gotten so low, he had thought about killing himself.
Before he left, I had him look me in the eye and promise me if he ever got that low again, he would call me before he did anything. He promised me he would.
I have since lost touch with this friend, but the last I heard he was doing well and had married again. I am happy for him.
Sometimes when folks are planning to kill themselves, they seem just fine like my friend who killed himself several years back.
Other times, there will be warning signs, such as giving away prized possessions.
I remember another friend of mine announced on Facebook a few years back, they were quitting some organizations they belonged to, which can also be a warning sign. I got worried so I dropped the friend a message on Facebook just to check on them.
As it turned out, the friend was planning to attend graduate school and was just trying to simplify their life some before they did so.
My friend thanked me for reaching out to them though. My friend noted I was the only one who did.
September is National Suicide Prevention Month. Most years during the month of September, I try to write a version of this column in hopes that it will help someone.
If you know someone who is struggling and you are concerned about them, then reach out. Make a phone call, send a text, drop them an e-mail. Just let them know that you are thinking of them.
Let them know someone cares.
Occasionally, when someone I know is struggling with something, I will send them a simple text or leave them a note saying, “hang in there” to let them know I am thinking about them. I hope it helps.
If you are down and thinking about taking your own life, then I would say please don’t. If for no other reason, because of the impact it will have on your friends and loved ones.
I guarantee it will have a negative impact on at least one person you care about.
Also, if you are thinking about taking your life, please know this; sadly, you are not alone. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death overall in the United States and is the second leading cause of death for people ages 10-34. In Kentucky, there is a death by suicide every 11 hours.
If you are thinking about ending your life, there are resources available and people you can speak with.
Among other resources, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached 24 hours a day by dialing 988. Texting and chatting with 988 is also available for people in a mental health or substance use crisis.
To anyone reading this column, who is thinking about or planning to kill themselves, I would say please call or text 988 first.
Look at it this way, what do you have to lose?
