'Survivors' of Suicide Gather in Sidney

About 20 years ago, Sen. Harry Reid introduced a resolution to the U.S. Senate leading to the creation of International Survivors of Suicide Day. He also had lost his father to suicide.

The commemoration is also known as Survivor Day. It was schedule for the Saturday before Thanksgiving acknowledging that holidays can be difficult for suicide loss survivors.

On Saturday, Nov. 23, Sidney had its own Survivor Day, held at Karuna Counseling. Of the few who were present, each had their own experiences: the middle-age son who ended his life away from his mother, the mother who was not allowed to be involved in the legal or bereavement process; the young lady who held her boyfriend as he died from a self-inflicted wound and who also had to face her father committing suicide. There was also the parent whose quiet afternoon was disrupted by his teenager's friend bursting into the house, interrupting an attempt in the back of the house.

The meeting was a first for Sidney. It was scheduled in relation to the International Survivors Day. Liz Borgmann, who has organized Walk Out of Darkness in Sidney, and Nichole Peralta of Karuna Counseling, were asked to lead the event in Sidney following the Walk Out of Darkness event in September.

“I felt that this event went really, really well,” Borgmann said. “With this event our first, we were able to learn a lot. Things that came from it were just exceptional.”

She said the objective of the event is for people impacted by suicide to feel a sense of support, have people connect with each other.

“There's so many people who need the support system,” she said.

Counselor Nichole Peralta also thought the meeting was very positive. She said it is not unusual for fewer to attend than actually register.

“I was just happy to see one person show,” she said.

She said some of the hope for the group is to develop support groups in the future, raise local awareness and benefit local efforts.

She added suicide does not discriminate. It can impact any person or family, regardless of income or social class.

Survivor Day is an annual event preceding Thanksgiving and Christmas. Survivor Day 2020 is set for Nov. 21.

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. In 2017, 47,173 Americans died by suicide; almost 70 percent were white males. Statistics show that the rate of suicide is highest in middle-age white men.

In Nebraska, the numbers are show older teens to young adults are the leading age group in suicide. As a state, suicide is the ninth leading cause of death in Nebraska. It is the second leading cause of death for people ages 15 to 34, third for people ages 35 to 44 and fifth for people ages 45 to 54. Nebraska's suicide rate is 14.7 per 100,000 people, ranked 34th in the nation; slightly higher than the national average.

In 2015, the most recent year for data, the Centers for Disease Control reported 575,000 people visited a hospital due to self-inflicted injuries. Based on a 2017 National Survey of Drug Use and Mental Health, an estimated .6 percent of all adults 18 and older made at least one attempt at suicide, translating to about 1.4 million adults.

The AFSP reports there is no single cause of suicide. The AFSP says suicide most often occurs “when stressors and health issues converge to create and experience of hopelessness and despair.” The AFSP lists risk factors that may lead to suicide, including depression, substance abuse, mental health issues, prolonged stress, exposure to another person's suicide and previous suicide attempts, childhood abuse, neglect or trauma. Warning signs are often related to a person talking about killing him or herself, talking about being a burden to others, increased alcohol use, withdrawing from activities, sleeping too little or too much, and depression, anxiety or loss of interest. Some may also have a sudden improvement or sense of relief. The simplest indicator, according to the AFSP, is a change in behavior or the presence of entirely new behaviors.

What is sometimes overlooked is the people left behind. Moving past the pain, the survivor's guilt real or perceived, requires finding hope and holding onto it, remembering the good times and finding happiness, according to Borgmann.

For more information or if someone you know needs help, call 1-800-273-TALK, 877-492-7001 or text 741-741.