Every 13 seconds, on average, someone attempts suicide in the United States.

Every 13 minutes, someone succeeds.

Or I guess you could also say that every 13 minutes so many more of us fail. Fail at listening, helping, reaching out. Catching the signs and intervening.

Ouch.

National Suicide Prevention week started yesterday in the US.

World Suicide Prevention Day is this Saturday, September 10.

Suicide isn’t fluffy or understood or something most people want to talk about.

Suicide is scary and most people like to sweep it, and so many issues that surround it, under the rug and pretend it doesn’t happen.

Well, let’s not do that anymore. There is just too much at risk.

Suicide happens. And we CAN change that.

 We can even end it if we try, like really try.

Let’s start by being brave enough to talk about it. It really is everybody’s business.

Last night I came across a website that profiles suicide survivors’ stories in photos and video and beautiful touching interviews of bravery.

I dare you to click over and take a look at the survivor page on Live Through This. I bet you’ll see more people that you can relate to than you’d expect.

Pick a person and click on his or her photo. Then I double dog dare you to read just one story without being moved.

We need to do something.

I hope talk about this more through the week. Today I just want you to think about it.

If you or someone you  know needs help right now, I do have a few resources for you:

Crisis Text Line

Text  START to 741-741, the Crisis Text line, to receive support via text.