Part of what depression does is make people feel hopeless. The depressions and other mental illnesses associated with suicide are very treatable. There is good help available. And it's really important that people know that. Treatment most often is a combination of antidepressant medication and psychological therapy.
Suicide is so underdiscussed, it's scary.
That may be changing. Last summer, Surgeon General David Satcher declared suicide a serious public health threat. A comprehensive national suicide strategy is expected after the first of the year. But this issue is so urgent, Satcher said, that the call to action must begin immediately. First up is educating the public to recognize the signs and to know when someone seems at risk for suicide.