Suicide is becoming a global epidemic. With suicide rates in the US having increased more than 25% since 1999, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide has become the 10th leading cause of death in 2015. But it gets worse because suicide rates are also rising worldwide, with approximately one million people dying annually from suicide. The World Health Organization estimates a current global rate of one death every 40 seconds; however, they predict it will increase to one every 20 seconds by 2020.
Our panel is no stranger to suicide and depression. And even though they try to have fun, some subjects are just hard to discuss and sometimes things get real. This episode is as real as they come. The emotions, the experiences, the words, and the feelings are all real. Please be advised that it may not be for everyone. Also, our panel is not professionals; they’re just people who have firsthand experience in dealing with the subject.
If you or someone you know is struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts, please get professional help. You can call 1-800-273-8255 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. It provides free and confidential support 24 hours a day, seven days a week for people in suicidal crisis or distress. You can also text HOME to 741741 to have a confidential text conversation with a trained crisis counselor from Crisis Text Line. Counselors are available 24/7.
Now that you’ve heard from us, we want to hear from you. If you have any feedback or thoughts on this tough issue that you’d like to share, please send us an email (feedback@hopestrikesback.com), leave a comment below, or message us on Facebook. We’d love to discuss your feedback on our next show, and we’re more than happy to keep things anonymous. 
