According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), the United States has a suicide every 11 minutes. With the increasing number of suicide deaths, there is an increasing number of those affected by suicide loss.
International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day is Saturday, Nov. 20. This nationally acknowledged day of recognition was created to bring survivors of suicide loss together to find hope and connection through their shared experiences.
The Wood County ADAMHS Board works with the Wood County Suicide Prevention Coalition to provide support groups for those affected in the community. Their goal is to show the community of Wood County the importance of warning signs, resources and treatment for suicide.
Director of Community Programs at Wood County ADAMHS and Wood County Suicide Prevention Coalition Co-Chair Aimee Coe says the recognition of this day is extremely important.
“Everyone needs support and understanding and sometimes that is all that is needed to save a life. We hope that days highlighting suicide loss will encourage and offer hope to anyone struggling,” she said.
Local support groups for can be found through the Wood County Suicide Prevention website at https://woodcountysuicideprevention.org/support-groups/. The Suicide Suvivors Support Group meets in Perrysburg every second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. It is hosted through Unison Health and located at 1011 Sandusky St. in Suite C. For more information, call Unison Health at 419-352-4624.
For immediate help, call the Wood County Crisis Line at 419-502-HOPE (4673). To learn more about this day of recognition, visit https://afsp.org/international-survivors-of-suicide-loss-day.
The Wood County ADAMHS Board promotes community well-being and increases quality of life for Wood County. They exist to advocate, plan and fund community-based mental health and addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery services for the community. For more information on Wood County ADAMHS, visit https://www.wcadamh.org or follow them on Facebook or Instagram.
