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Cedars Unitarian Universalist Church
A Welcoming
Congregation
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Pastoral Care Committee Suicide Every 18 minutes another life is lost to suicide, making it the eleventh most common cause of death in the United States. We all may feel overwhelmed by difficult emotions or situations sometimes. But most people are able to get through them or put their problems in perspective and carry on with determination and hope. People may consider suicide when they are hopeless and can’t see any other solution to their problems. Often it’s related to serious depression, alcohol or substance abuse, or a major stressful event.
People who have the highest risk of suicide are white men, though women and teen report more suicide attempts. Teens are vulnerable to depression because hormones and sleep cycles change dramatically during adolescence and can affect their mood. Depression puts a filter on the person’s thinking that distorts things. The individual doesn’t realize that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem in the same way that other people do.
There are often signs that someone may be thinking about or planning a suicide attempt. Some of them may be:
If it’s you or someone you know who has some of these signs, it’s important to get help right away. Talk to someone that you trust, or call the Crisis Clinic of the Peninsula at 800-843-4793, or call 911 in an emergency. People are there to help you figure out how to work through tough situations. Chere Perrone, Pastoral Care Chair Committee Members: Chere Perrone, Chair
Deb Gates
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