By GISSELE GONZALEZ
Staff Writer
Information presented in this article may be triggering to some people. If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 for support and assiatance.
Throughout recent years, there has been a continuous increase in the number of men ending their lives explicitly through suicide. While women do tend to experience higher rates of suicidal ideation, men are most likely to commit. In 2015 the CDC reported that suicide was the seventh cause of death for all American men.
In 2017, the suicide rate for men was 3.5 times higher than it was for women. The suicide rate is highest among middle-aged white men, who accounted for almost 70% of all suicides in 2017. Research also suggests that while women attempt suicide more often, men choose more lethal means of suicide. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that suicide represents half of all male violent deaths worldwide.
I would like to take this opportunity to encourage all of the male students here at El Diamante who are struggling with mental health to please seek help. You do not need to “man up.” You do not need to “cheer up” or “pull yourself together” or “snap out of it.” It is okay to feel. It is okay to not be okay. You are wanted. You are needed. You are loved.