Suicide deaths in Manitowoc County are on the rise.
According to Donna Firman, the Founder of the Zero Suicide movement in Manitowoc County, “Last year we had 20 suicide deaths here in Manitowoc County. That is a four-year high, and the second-highest number we have had in the last 12 years.”
She also said that according to a study at Western Michigan University, which found that “for every one suicide death, there are 25 attempts, which means we probably have about 500 attempt survivors just from last year in our county.”
Firman is Board President of CORE Treatment Services-a residential substance use disorder treatment facility and serves on the Board of Prevent Suicide Manitowoc County.
She tells SeehaferNews.com that it’s a “profound problem that no one really wants to talk about but can’t be avoided because it’s a reality here.” Firman says people contemplate taking their life for several reasons which have a common denominator of having no hope.
According to Firman, some of the signs and dangers of suicide especially during this time of social isolation with the COVID-19 pandemic include if someone is posting things like “You won’t have to worry about me anymore.” Or other dark comments. If they are starting to give possessions away, or just seem off from their normal selves.
Firman says the best way to help is to “Connect with people and find out what’s going on with them.”
Then you need to be, in Firman’s words, “brutally honest with them and ask, ‘Have you ever considered taking your own life?’ You are not going to put the thought in their mind. Instead, you are going to lift a burden from their shoulders and give them a reason to have a life-saving conversation, and that’s what you want to do.”
For more information and available resources log onto preventsuicidemanitowoc.com or if you need help call the National Suicide Prevention Line at 1-800-273- TALK. That’s 1-800-273-8255.
