Did you know??

that March is the month with the highest percentage of suicides?? I am writing this because a teacher DH knows didn't show up to teach his 5th grade class yesterday, and upon further investigation they are calling it a suicide at this time. In my line of work outside the home, I often provide home visits, and conduct therapy in the child's home. A couple years ago, in March, a co-worker of mine went to work with a child and her mother in the home. To her shock, that evening the mother committed suicide. After this we were all asked to attend a class on suicide awareness, and prevention. Why does the month of March bring the highest percentage of suicides? According to the presenters, it is due to the fact that many people tend to get depressed over the holidays, and when March (spring) rolls around, oftentimes many people start to come out of their depressions, but it's those that don't, and see that other people around them are cheering up, when they are not, that are at highest risk of suicide. This was pretty surprising to most of us, and I feel is a pretty important fact to learn. The other important point I remember learning during this class was that if you suspect someone is considering suicide, or if they mention something like this, you should always ask them if they have a plan, and what their plan is. Then find the appropriate help for the person. Oftentimes, a person contemplenting suicide does not appear sad or depressed, that is why it is important to listen to their words as well. I hope someone reading this will learn something new about this, and possibly be more aware of those people out there who are hurting during this month or any other time.