THAT
THAT IS
THAT IS WHAT THE CDC TOLD AMERICA THIS MORNING -- AND IT
LIFE
LIFE EXPECTANCY IN THIS COUNTRY IS DECLINING AT A RATE WE HAVE
NOT SEEN SINCE WORLD WAR I.
>> IT IS SHOCKING TO SAY THE
LEAST.
LEAST.
LEAST. WE
LEAST. WE ARE A WEALTHY DEVELOPED
COUNTRY AND OUR LIFE EXPECTANCY
IS GOING DOWN.
THERE ARE TWO BIG REASONS WHY.
DRUG OVER DOSES AND DEATH BY
SUICIDE.
SUICIDE.
SUICIDE. WE ARE GOING TO FOCUS TONIGHT
ON THE LATTER.
BECAUSE OF THIS STAGGERING
FACT.
FACT.
FACT. IN
FACT. IN THE UNITED STATES ON THIS
NIGHT SUICIDE DEATHS ARE AT A
50 YEAR HIGH.
MORE THAN 47,000 AMERICANS DIED
BY SUICIDE LAST YEAR.
MORE THAN THAT FOR A DECADE
THAT NUMBER HAS BEEN ON THE
RISE.
RISE.
RISE. NO
RISE. NO DECREASES.
NO DECREASES. WHY?
WHY?
WHY? >>
WHY? >> WE HAVE SOME THINGS THAT ARE
POINTING US IN THAT DIRECTION.
FIRST WE HAVE THE ECONOMIC
CRISIS THAT HAPPENED IN 2008.
THAT STILL HAS LINGERING
EFFECTS FOR US WHEN WE LOOK AT
THE DATA.
THE DATA.
THE DATA. WE HAVE MEDIA AND SOCIAL MEDIA
TAKING "13 REASONS WHY" THAT
CAME OUT LAST YEAR.
STUDIES SHOWED THERE WAS AN
INCREASE IN SUICIDAL THINKING
AND THOUGHTS FROM YOUNG PEOPLE
BUT ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR WAYS
TO DIE AND HOSPITALIZATIONS
WENT UP AFTER THAT.
>> Reporter: ANOTHER REASON WE
ARE AT THIS NUMBER, PEOPLE ARE
ACTUALLY BEING REPORTED AS
DYING BY SUICIDE.
THAT WAS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE.
BUT THIS STILL DOES NOT MEAN WE
CAN'T STOP FIGHTING TO FIND OUT
WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE.
>> WE NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT
RISK.
RISK.
RISK. WE
RISK. WE NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE
WARNING SIGNS.
WARNING SIGNS. THE WARNING SIGNS FOR SUICIDE
THEY WERE BASED ON A
POPULATION, LOOKING AT WARNING
SIGN THAT COULD HAVE BEEN 11
MONTHS BEFORE SOMEONE DIED BY
SUICIDE.
SUICIDE.
SUICIDE. >> WE NEED BETTER TREATMENT.
>> VERY DIFFICULT FOR SOMEBODY
TO GO TO THE DOCTOR AND SAY I @
THE DOCTOR PRESCRIBE AN
ANTIDEPRESSANT AND THE DOCTOR
TO SAY TO THE PATIENT, IT WILL
TAKE 4-6 WEEKS TO WORK.
WE NEED SOMETHING STRONGER FOR
THOSE.
THOSE.
THOSE. >>
THOSE. >> Reporter: THOSE STRUGGLING
ARE AT A STAGGERING NUMBER.
>> WE HAVE MORE THAN 10 MILLION
AMERICANS THAT WILL THINK ABOUT
SUICIDE IN A YEAR.
>> WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT, YOU
MEAN, SERIOUSLY THINK ABOUT?
>> SERIOUS THOUGHTS OF SUICIDE.
YES.
YES.
YES. >>
YES. >> EVEN AS WE LOST 47,000
PEOPLE LAST YEAR, 275,000
ATTEMPTED TO TAKE THEIR LIVES.
AND SURVIVED.
AND SURVIVED. >> WHEN WE HEAR STORIES OF
PEOPLE WHO SURVIVED, THAT HAVE
RECOVERED, THAT HAVE GOTTEN
THROUGH A DARK TIME IN THEIR
LIFE IT HELPS PEOPLE, MAYBE I
CAN GET THROUGH TOMORROW, TOO.
>> THE HOPE IS IF WE CAN FIND
THOSE PEOPLE ON THE EDGE WE CAN
THINK ABOUT WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN.
>> IN A VERY SHORT TIME WE LOSE
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. STUDIES WILL TELL US ABOUT 20-
25% OF PEOPLE MAKE THE FINAL
DECISION IN 5 MINUTES.
AND ANOTHER 20% IS 10 MINUTES.
SO, HALF OF THE PEOPLE WE LOSE
YOU HAVE 10 MINUTES TO SAVE
THEM.
THEM.
THEM. THAT IS DIFFERENT THAN ALL OF
THE OTHER DECEASES THAT ARE OUT
THERE.
THERE.
THERE. IF
THERE. IF WE COULD FIGURE OUT WHO
THOSE PEOPLE ARE AND WE CAN
INTERVENE VERY QUICKLY WE CAN
SAVE HALF OF THOSE PEOPLE RIGHT
AWAY.
AWAY.
AWAY. >>
AWAY. >> I CAN SIT HERE AND SAY IT IS
OKAY TO TALK ABOUT MENTAL
HEALTH, END THE STIGMA, I CAN
DO IT ALL NIGHT LONG.
IT DOES NOT MEAN COMING IF YOU
OR SOMEONE IS STRUGGLING RIGHT
NOW, RIGHT NOW.
SO, THE NATIONAL SUICIDE
PREVENTION LIFELINE JOINED
TOGETHER WITH SURVIVORS TO
CREATE THIS LIST OF SELF-CARE
AND COPING TIPS.
>>> FIRST AND FOREMOST
RECOGNIZING YOU NEED HELP IS
NOT A WEAKNESS AT ALL.
WE HAVE TO START BEING KIND TO
OURSELVES.
OURSELVES. KNOW THAT BEING BROKEN IS NOT
BAD.
BAD.
BAD. SIT
BAD. SIT WITH YOUR EMOTIONS AND
ALLOW YOURSELF TO FEEL AND
ACCEPT THEM.
ACCEPT THEM. >> DECLUTTER YOUR MIND, WRITE
DOWN WHAT IS BOTHERING YOU AND
SAY THANK YOU TO SOMEONE THAT
CAN HELP YOU.
IT DOES HELP.
COMPLEMENT SOMEONE.
COMPLEMENT SOMEONE. THEN COMPLEMENT YOURSELF.
FORGIVE SOMEONE, FORGIVE
YOURSELF, TAKE A FIVE MINUTE
BREAK IN YOUR DAY.
TAKE THE TIME TO FIND 5
BEAUTIFUL THNGS DURING YOUR
DAILY ROUTINE.
DAILY ROUTINE. TAKE A DAY OFF OF SOCIAL MEDIA
AND THE INTERNET.
TAKE A MENTAL HEALTH DAY FROM
SCHOOL OR FROM WORK.
START THAT ONE PROJECT YOU HAVE
BEEN THINKING ABOUT FOREVER.
WRITE ABOUT SOMETHING YOU ARE
GRATEFUL FOR.
GRATEFUL FOR. GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION TO SAY
NO.
NO.
NO. SAY
NO. SAY YES TO THERAPY.
TAKE YOUR MEDICATION ON TIME
AND AT ANY SECOND WHEN YOU ARE
IN DOUBT, REACH OUT.
>> I ASKED THAT DOCTOR I WAS
TALKING TO, HE HAS BEEN DOING
IT FOR 30 YEARS.
HE HAS BEEN WORKING IN SUED
PREVENTION FOR 30 YEARS AND I
-- SUICIDE PREVENTION FOR 30
YEARS.
YEARS.
YEARS. I
YEARS. I SAID DOES IT FEEL HOPELESSS?
THAT IS WHAT WE SAID EARLIER.
HE SAID NO.
-- HOPELESSS?
-- HOPELESSS? THAT IS WHAT WE SAID EARLIER.
HE SAID NO.
WE ARE AT A CRISIS WHERE WE
NEED TO KEEP TALKING ABOUT IT
MORE AND NEED TO GET HELP
OURSELVESES.
OURSELVESES. >> -- OURSELVES.
>> HE WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW
MUCH WAS NEEDED TO HAVE MORE
RESEARCH ON SUICIDE.
STUDIES ON SLEEP GETS MORE
RESEARCH.
RESEARCH.
RESEARCH. BREAST CANCER GETS 10 TIMES
MORE FUNDING.
MORE FUNDING. NOT SAYING THEY ARE NOT NOBLE
CAUSES IT IS JUST WE NEED TO
KNOW MORE ABOUT IT.
>> IT IS INTERTWINED.
THEY GIVE A LOT OF MONEY TO
STUDY MENTAL HEALTH BUT WHEN
YOU ARE SPECIFIC TO SUICIDE WE
ARE JUST GETTING TO A POINT
WHERE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT
THIS.
THIS.
THIS. I
THIS. I POINTED OUT THE PEOPLE THAT
ARE REPORTING THE DEATHS AS
SUICIDE.
SUICIDE.
SUICIDE. WE MIGHT BE AT THE BEGINNING OF
GETTING THE NUMBERS.
HOPEFULLY THE THINGS WERE
CHANGED AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN
LOBBY TO HAVE IT CHANGED BUT WE
NEED MORE INFORMATION,
ABSOLUTELY.
ABSOLUTELY. TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE GET TO