Blue Eagle Logistics proudly supports the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s (AFSP), Out of Darkness Walk for the Greater Lehigh Valley on October 6th, 2019. This year’s walk will be held at Lehigh Parkway in Allentown, PA.
Last year, my wife and I experienced the devastating loss of our son Samuel to suicide.
I believe suicide can be prevented, and it starts with regular people like us.
47,173 suicide deaths were reported in the US in 2017.
- Currently, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States.
- Every day, approximately 129 Americans take their own life.
- 90% of all people who die by suicide have a diagnosable psychiatric disorder at the time of their death.
25 million Americans suffer from depression each year.
- Over 50% of people who die by suicide suffer from major depression. If one includes alcoholics who are depressed, this figure rises to over 75%.
- Depression affects nearly 5-8% of Americans ages 18 and over in a given year.
- More Americans suffer from depression than coronary heart disease, cancer, and HIV/AIDS.
- Depression is among the most treatable of psychiatric illnesses. Between 80 and 90% of people with depression respond positively to treatment, with nearly all patients gaining some relief from their symptoms. But first, depression has to be recognized.
The best way to prevent suicide is through early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of depression and other mental health conditions.
In the last 10 years, Federal Government funding for research has reduced mortality rates for HIV/AIDS (-53.2%), Heart Disease (-29.1%) and Prostate Cancer (-13.7%). At the same time, the Centers for Disease Control reports that with $37 million invested in suicide prevention research, suicide rates have climbed 20.4%.
It’s time for suicide prevention research to receive the same level of support.
Suicide is devastating but it’s preventable. And that’s why I’ve joined this community of more than a quarter of a million people walking in hundreds of cities across the country to fight suicide in an Out of the Darkness Walk.
Donating is fast and easy. Please sponsor our fundraising efforts here:
https://afsp.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donordrive.participant&participantID=1978026
If you have any questions about the Out of the Darkness Community Walks or AFSP do not hesitate to contact me or visit: