Every day, approximately 138 Americans die by suicide. This makes suicide the 11th leading cause of death within the US. Peaces of Me is deeply concerned with this trend. Thus, we are offering the following advise to help address the underlying societal issues that have led us to this current crisis.

Although the above statistics are heart-breaking, but there is hope. Below, you will find a list of 5 actions that each of us can take in order to play our part in beating this epidemic.

1. Don’t assume. Popular culture would have us believe that fame, fortune, and professional success inoculates us from mental illness. It’s not true. Mental illness touches every socioeconomic status, belief system, and demographic characteristic. Understanding this fact helps us avoid overlooking those who may be struggling.
2. Understand. Depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions are often chronic in nature. Generally speaking, it is common for peaks and valleys in severity to occur. Please remain supportive as your friend or loved one navigates the highs and lows of their situation.
3. Check in. Sometimes, small gestures of support go a long way. Resources such as 988 are crucial, but they can’t replace the presence of a long friend or family member. You don’t need to be a mental health expert or know how to handle every problem. Just show up as your authentic self as consistently and compassionately as possible.
4. Encourage. We anticipate the day where taking care of our mental health is as shameless as taking a shower or washing our hands. To that end, every advancement toward the normalization of prioritizing mental health is worth celebrating. Be an example by nurturing your mental health, and encouraging others to do the same.
5. Be kind. Popular myth is that some individuals are fragile, but our culture that elevates meanness and rancor is the real problem. Instead of distributing anti-venom to counteract the verbal cyanide that pervades our atmosphere, perhaps we should deal with this poison at the source. Within your sphere of influence, do what you can to replace cynicism with hope, derision with compassion, and divisiveness with empathy.

None of us can solve this crisis alone, but we can all make an impact. Let’s band together to create a world where despair, isolation, and stigma drift into oblivion.