As Suicide Prevention Awareness Month comes to a close, I want to shine a spotlight on how trauma plays a major role in suicide. Trauma is the injury that occurs and often remains when a person encounters something too difficult to manage in that time or place. Suicidal ideations (thoughts of suicide) are very common with individuals who have experienced any form of abuse as well as those with complex trauma.
Suicide rates in the US have increased by 32% since 2000, with the latest data showing suicide as the cause of death for 48,824 people in 2024. That same year, 14.3 million adults had some degree of suicidal ideation. That’s over 5% of the adult population! Suicide was attempted by 2.2 million people which was an increase of nearly 50% from the previous year. In 2024, suicide was the second highest cause of death for children and young adults ages 15 to 34.
It doesn’t take much research to learn that suicide is a tremendous issue in our country. Looking deeper into the statistics, these rates are even more elevated for vulnerable and marginalized communities. The increased experience of trauma and abuse is obviously a factor. So how do we address this growing concern? How do we help people who are suffering from suicidal thoughts?
Many efforts have been made throughout the mental health system, educational systems, and other prominent organizations. Everything from 24/7 hotlines to increasing education about suicide has grown over the years. These are all excellent avenues to building awareness and assistance for folks. However, this does not address everything.
To gain a deeper understanding of how to help those considering suicide, it is imperative to understand their life experience from a trauma lens. Over the past few decades, we have witnessed a wide spectrum of the suicide narrative. Religion has taught that suicide is a sin. Society has told us it is selfish. Even prominent mental health providers inform patients that suicide is a deliberate choice. So what is it really? Where do these thoughts, intentions, and plans come from? And can it really be prevented?
How Trauma Plays a Role
As a trauma psychotherapist who has worked in emergency and inpatient psychiatric treatment for many years, I have spoken to hundreds of patients seeking help for suicidal thoughts. When you speak to people and listen to their stories, you begin to learn that thoughts of suicide are never random. It is never an impulse. It is never selfish. It is never rebellious. Considering suicide usually enters the equation after extensive time, effort, struggle, pain, and defeat.
The single father of three who lost his job and despite hundreds of applications and interviews can’t be hired even while holding multiple advanced degrees. The grandmother in her 80’s who now raises her two grandchildren with special needs and can’t afford rent or groceries with her limited social security check. The college student who was dismissed for speaking up about being raped and now is crippled by PTSD and depression. The 15 year-old living on the streets unable to get a job or attend school with no option to build a future let alone find something to eat tonight.
Stories like these often go unheard or ignored. People are struggling. People are hurting. People lack resources for basic needs. People are alone. People are abandoned, dismissed, and rejected.
Those who have experienced trauma are navigating life with painful scars that drain them emotionally, mentally, and physically. This depletes their ability to deal with stress and other difficulties in their life. It takes far more energy to accomplish everyday tasks, and more time and resources are needed to replenish that energy. The compounded effect of trauma on an individual who does not have adequate resources to function creates even deeper obstacles to a satisfactory life. When everyday tasks consume every part of you, it becomes very easy to consider finding an escape from it all.
When life only takes and never gives, what is the point of trying another day? When I exhaust myself to make ends meet only to be met with another impossible obstacle, when do I finally get off this hamster wheel? When I have exhausted every possible option, what else can I do? And when no one else is around or cares, why should I?
To effectively heal the scars of trauma, folks must have the resources to meet all the needs in their life. This includes safe, stable, and consistent housing, nutrition, sleep, exercise, healthcare, social support, spiritual connection, adequate finances, and opportunities for self-expression. Let’s take a look at just a few of these basic human needs and what real support looks like to help prevent suicide.
Food, Water, & Fresh Air
It’s quite astounding that anyone could argue against the basic right for every person on Earth to have access to clean and safe food, water, and air. Unfortunately, in capitalistic and white supremacist societies, this is far too common. People must earn the privilege of healthy food, clean air, and fresh water. If you are not wealthy enough, you can’t afford proper nutrition. Our most affordable food is heavily processed and devoid of nutritional value. This is on purpose and is disgusting. What other choice do folks have? If I can only afford rent or healthier food, the rent has to get paid. Sadly, this is often dismissed in the dialogue about eating healthy even when coming from medical professionals.
Clean water and fresh air? You need to be privileged and wealthy for that as well. Our society has polluted the air and stripped our tap water of critical minerals while adding in dangerous chemicals. If you want clean water, you have to afford expensive filtration and remineralization systems. Want fresh air? You have to pay for top of the line air filtration systems and be able to afford to live in areas with less air pollution. This is obviously not an option for most people.
Not having consistent access to necessary vitamins and minerals from our food and water can lead to mood irregularities, sleep issues, and even psychosis. Any one of these can easily lead to thoughts of suicide. If we are constantly ingesting and breathing in toxins, our minds and bodies will not be able to function at healthy levels.
What can we as regular people do against these systems that want to take away these basic rights? Do what you can and start small. Who is in your circle and community right now that you can help? Donate to food banks. Volunteer at soup kitchens and outreach programs. Advocate for your communities with your local representatives. Sign petitions and vote for legislation that will protect our health and access to needed resources. Avoid using AI, limit social media use, and advocate against data centers which are using up water sources and negatively impacting our environment and marginalized communities. Access to basic needs is suicide prevention.
A Roof Over Heads
In “the wealthiest country in the world,” almost 800,000 individuals were unhoused in 2024. This was an 18% increase from the previous year, and I would anticipate ongoing increases as numbers are reviewed for 2025 and 2026. What is astounding beyond this number is that in that same year there were over 16 million empty homes, more than enough for every unhoused individual to have a safe space to live 20 times over! The data also confirms that housing needs are greater for those experiencing higher levels of trauma including folks with disabilities, foster children, senior adults, and marginalized populations. And all this data doesn’t even touch those who have unstable or unsafe housing or live in a 1-bedroom apartment with 12 other people.
But aren’t there options for people if they just try hard enough? What about all these shelters? Though many shelters have been working to increase the numbers of beds, they are far behind in meeting the growing need of people losing housing. In addition, resources, space, and funding continue to decline for social needs leading to shelter closures, unlivable conditions, and lack of staff and resources to keep shelters open. And many shelters that are open utilize discriminatory religious tactics, racists policies, or homophobic and transphobic practices.
Imagine living on the street. You don’t have a home address. You can’t get a driver’s license. You can’t apply for most jobs. You have no where to clean your clothes or keep important items like a birth certificate, money, or medications safe. You are living out in the elements with the increasing extreme weather conditions. You are subject to constant physical, emotional, and psychological harm. Surviving in these inhumane conditions are easily causes for becoming a victim to suicide.
How do we combat the housing issue in order to prevent suicide? Locate your local shelters and unhoused resource organizations. Donate clothes, shoes, blankets, food, and money. Research local representatives and call or write about the current housing status in your community. Vote for officials who have a plan to address the lack of housing and pouring resources back into their communities. And the biggest thing you can do? Talk. Change the narrative. When someone makes a derogatory comment about unhoused folks, counter them with the facts and real experiences. Remind them of shared humanity and encourage compassion. When you encounter someone asking for assistance on the side of the road, in the park, or by a store, talk to them instead of ignoring them. Listen to their stories. Offer the support you can. Being treated with respect and decency is suicide prevention.
Where are the People?
The greatest need of all is safe and loving people actively involved in our lives. This doesn’t mean a passive, “Let me know if you need anything,” kind of relationship. These interactions are honestly praised in our culture as being ideal. But are they really? These passive interactions are great at making the speaker feel like they are being helpful without actually having to lift a finger. This behavior is encouraged by our society as it loves to reinforce guilt and shame for not being able to handle everything on our own. If someone is struggling, it’s their fault somehow and it’s their responsibility for getting out of it.
Isolation is one the most significant causes of suicidal ideation. I witnessed this regularly while working in hospitals. Folks who were struggling the most with depression often had limited or zero social support. When you feel alone, you don’t have the support, resources, or motivation to do even the most simple tasks. Human beings are social creatures. We need human connection. We need to be seen. We need to be heard. We need to be felt. We need to be understood. When I say human contact is a basic need, I am not exaggerating. Many people overlook social connection as being important, but it is one the greatest needs we have even for the most introverted person. In fact, social isolation increases risks of premature death by almost 30%!
A person in an abusive relationship who has no family or friends for support will more than likely remain in that relationship no matter how harmful it gets. A child being neglected at home but doesn’t have any safe adults in their life are at far higher risk of adverse mental health effects. A young adult struggling to pay bills while navigating a high-demand job who doesn’t have anyone to talk to is more likely to encounter higher levels of stress and decreased health. Those experiencing depression who have no social support system are at an elevated risk of suicide.
This is the most actionable effort most people can make for suicide prevention. Build community. Be a real friend. Support your family. Be there for people. Not in the “I’m around” passive way but in the tangible moments of life. Check in on your people. Set reminders to call the folks you care about. Really ask about how they are and be open to difficult conversations. Get to know friends at a deeper level. Make the effort to build genuine, deep connections. Learn how people are struggling and find ways to help them. Understand their dreams, hopes, and passions. Provide space for the messy parts and don’t pull away when they turn out to be fallible humans. Reality check, you aren’t perfect either.
Ask the people you love if they feel overwhelmed, stressed, or burnt out. If they are struggling emotionally, be there for them. Don’t wait for them to reach out. Often times, they will not ask for help especially if they are experiencing depression or anxiety. Show up. Bring them groceries. Offer to give them a ride. Check in daily.
It’s also ok to have conversations about suicide. You hear all too often from friends and families of victims of suicide that they had no idea their person was struggling. Most of the time, the blame is placed on the victim because they didn’t speak up or they hid it too well. This is so harmful. When people are experiencing these thoughts, it is very difficult and often impossible for them to reach out to anyone. It is our responsibility to check on each other and create relationships where those conversation can happen. Ask the people you love if they ever have those thoughts and create a nonjudgmental space to actively listen to them. Be prepared to provide support, time, and connection. Being seen, heard, understood, and supported is suicide prevention.
What Will You Do?
If we want to see change in this world and reduce the option for suicide, it begins with community. Real, authentic, genuine community. Whether it is protesting against data centers, raising awareness for ongoing harm against black and brown communities, donating and volunteering for those struggling a little less than us, or picking up the phone to call a friend, every small action helps to build a community that supports healthy and happy lives. There is so much in our lives that is actively working against our wellbeing which understandably paves the way for many to consider finding an escape from it all. We have the vital responsibility to do our part to create a world where people are not alone, basic needs are met, and community is prioritized over profits. How can you help prevent suicide and take action to build your community today?
If you are actively considering suicide, you are not alone. Please call or text 988 to speak with a qualified mental health counselor who can help or go to your nearest emergency room.
Please note, that Radical Serenity is not a crisis line or emergency service. If you are in immediate danger, please call 911 or use your local emergency services for assistance.
If you are interested in trauma therapy for depression, learn more here and schedule a free consultation. If you are in need of other resources or support, check out my mental health resources page or reach out to me directly at michelle@radicalserenity.com. I would be happy to assist you in finding the resources you need.
