132 per day.

On average by the time the sun sets upon the United States of America each day , 132 people will have taken their own life. Worldwide over 800,000 people do so and in the USA men are 4 times more likely than women to do so. It is the 12th leading cause of death in the USA Today.

The prompt for this blog today was the headline news of Thomas Lee a successful Investment Banker who took his own life in his Wall Street Office two days ago. The action knows no limit rich ( for Lee was a billionaire ) to poor the act knows no boundaries. Help is out there for ultimately it is poor mental health that drives the act. For men they are often more reluctant to discuss their innermost problems which is unfortunate.

The need for the man to be ‘ strong ‘ is a given in the Cowboy Macho world yet opening oneself up is a much greater transparency, a brave rather than weak act. We all probably know someone who has committed this act and gone down the road of no return. I have known a few and have been with one good friend only hours before it happened ( never seeing anything untoward).

In yesterdays blog I spoke of the washing machine well this is a machine with a self switch off. There is a topical debate on taking one’s life at the point of illness in say a Swiss Clinic but it is still illegal in the majority western world. I say this as a Catholic Priest told me during the week of a time he was called to give a terminal cancer patient his last rites. The Priest attended administered the oil and the very next day , the anticipated day of passing the man rose from his bed and 12 years later lives.

There are of course many reasons for the act and the stats point to an epidemic which can be avoided if we look out to help others. Men seem to be the more vulnerable and the stigma of them seeking help should be removed in our Society where we can express so much but say so little. Social media has been responsible we are told for death amongst the young influenced at early age and again we adults need to be on and in our watchtowers.

For those that are left behind it can of course be devastating especially as there is no return often without explanation and questions never to be answered. Pray for the men in your life today, watch over them and treasure life daily for it is most special and a gift we have all been given. The act is the ultimate self harm. Take good care.