It’s been a building trend, but it’s definitely here. Colorado and Denver residents are not happy that we’re among the leaders in the nation for suicide. Overall, the Mountain States lead the entire country in suicide.
According to the Colorado Health Institute, Colorado’s suicide rate reached an all-time high in 2016, and it hasn’t retreated much since then. In 2016 a record 1,156 people died tragically to suicide.
Suicide is most common in the age group of 24-55 year-olds, and men are twice as likely to die by suicide as women are (although there is evidence that women feel suicidal at the same rate as men, and are just as likely to make an attempt or a gesture at suicide). What is really alarming is that the leading cause of death for Coloradans aged 10 to 24 is suicide. That’s right, suicide beats out illness and accidents as the leading cause of death.
Colorado has the ninth-highest suicide rate in the entire country, coming in at 20.5 suicides per 100,000 residents.
And how does Denver and the surrounding area stack up the with rest of the state? It’s about in the middle. The suicide rate for Denver county and the surrounding metro area ranges from 16.8-17.5 deaths per 100,000 residents. By contrast, the highest suicide rate is Mesa County, with 34.7 suicides per 100,000 residents. The Eastern part of the state and the Mountain counties like Eagle and Pitkin have a lower suicide rate than Denver.
In our counseling office, clients speak openly about thoughts of suicide, and what is means to them. One very common factor in people that attempt suicide is that they feel incredibly alone and isolated. Many are scared to tell loved ones that they feel this way. They often feel embarrassed or ashamed of their feelings and thoughts, even though it’s very common to go through a period in your life of entertaining the thought of suicide, especially if you are dealing with depression, anxiety, loss or hopelessness.
In counseling, often clients are able to open up for the first time about these thoughts and feelings, get real help, and move past these thoughts towards hope and feeling invested in their lives again. It’s amazing how just saying the words out loud of what you really think and feel can take away the loneliness, hopelessness, and shame of feeling suicidal.
Since suicide is such an issue in Denver and Colorado, there are resources for anyone to access (counseling, hotlines, walk-in clinics, and other resources). Even if you feel like you might not be in a crisis, reaching out for help before you are in an emergency is important, and people are standing by to help.
Here’s some resources for the Denver Area:
If you are in crisis, call the Colorado Crisis & Support Line at 1-844-493-TALK (8255) to connect with a trained counselor in your area.
Or reach the toll-free National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The service is available to anyone. All calls are confidential.
There are Walk-In clinics scattered throughout the Denver Metro Area that are open 24/7 if you want to talk to someone in person. Find them at www.coloradocrisisservices.org.
And as always, you can Contact Us here at Thrive Counseling. We’re here to listen.