This is day 3 of the Your Turn Challenge, and the topic is "Tell us about something that is important to you."  Here's what I came up with…

In the past 3 months I’ve been aware of or directly impacted by 7 suicides.  Something needs to change. This is unacceptable.

According to the CDC, suicide was the 10th leading cause of death in 2012.  That’s 40,600 deaths that year.

Per the American Federation for Suicide Prevention, 90% of those who die by suicide were suffering from some type of mental illness at the time, most likely depression.  What makes me even more sad is that there are effective treatments for depression, and some people never even seek help.  They suffer in silence.

For the loved ones left behind the grieving process is very complicated.  The one thing I want you all to know is that it’s not your fault.  I also want you to know that in the moment your loved one lost their life, they were unable to see any other option or to consider how this would impact you.  Forgive their action and have compassion for the pain that led them to that decision.