18th Anniversary

April 5, 1994

This is the date the coroner's report listed as the date of death for Kurt Cobain.  His body was found 3 days later.  I was 14 years old at the time, I remember thinking "what's the big deal?"  Some rock star committed suicide, who didn't see this coming?  With a tumultuous childhood, a long battle with depression (eventually diagnosed as BiPolar), along with addiction and the other spoils of fame, a lack of family support, maturity, and a new baby it's no wonder he felt trapped.

As a self centered teenager, I could not see the finality of it and the devastation bestowed upon his family. 



As a 32 year old wife and mother I cannot fathom the enormity of a child or spouse committing suicide.  Or for that matter, could it be more difficult to be the child of a parent who choses to take the matter of death into their own hands?  Historically, elderly, white men are most likely to take their own lives.  More recently though it seems we hear about more and more teenagers and young adults succumbing to the pressures of everyday life. 

Some Statistics

Suicide is the third leading cause of death for young people ages 12–18 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2007).

In a typical 12-month period, nearly 14 percent of American high school students seriously consider suicide; nearly 11 percent make plans about how they would end their lives; and 6.3 percent actually attempt suicide (CDC, 2010).

U.S. Suicide Statistics

1.3% of all deaths are from suicide.
On average, one suicide occurs every 17 minutes.
On average, an elderly person dies by suicide every 1 hour and 37 minutes.
On average, a young person (age 15-24) dies by suicide every 2 hours and 12 minutes.
Suicide is the eleventh leading cause of death for all Americans.
Suicide is the third leading cause of death for young people aged 15-24 year olds.
(1st = accidents, 2nd = homicide)
Suicide is the fifth leading cause of death for young people aged 5-14 year olds.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students.
Suicide is the eighth leading cause of death for males.
Suicide is the nineteenth leading cause of death for females.
More males die from suicide than females.
(4 male deaths by suicide for each female death by suicide.)
More people die from suicide than from homicide.
(Suicide ranks as the 11th leading cause of death; Homicide ranks 13th.)
73% of all suicide deaths are white males.
80% of all firearm suicide deaths are white males.
Among the highest rates (when categorized by gender and race) are suicide deaths for white men over 85. (54 per 100,000)
Every year, over 30,000 Americans die by suicide.

So, what can we do?  How can we prevent suicide?  How can we get involved?