Suicide Rates From CEOs to Celebrities to Layoffs: More Love and Support, please

My wife had 90s music on today and?Nobody Knows?by the Tony Rich Project came on.? Back in high school, I loved this song. ?Especially these lines:

These four walls close in more every day

And I'm dying inside and nobody knows it but me

Like a clown I put on a show

The pain is real even if nobody knows

And I'm crying inside and nobody knows it but me

What high schooler loves this??It sounds so depressing.?But the raw, open emotion spoke volumes to me.?Obviously I was feeling some hormonal high school lost love and loneliness, but I was also battling the stressors of an overloaded AP schedule.

I've only thought about suicide twice in my life.?First time was in high school, for the reasons above.?It's why my son's high school has signs that say "It gets better." and "You are loved.?You are valued."?Nearly 20% of high school students report serious thoughts of suicide and 9% have made an attempt to take their lives, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

That was the first time, and it's almost understandable, given all the new stressors and growing pains that we're experiencing in high school.?The second time was when I was a working adult, leading a team, trying to meet goals and targets in the face of adversity.?On the outside, everything would seem picture perfect.?You'd never guess what I was going through internally.

I wonder how many corporate?executives have felt that way??They say it is lonely at the top, and I wasn't even a CEO or founder.??Corporate executives who took their own lives include Freddie Mac's CFO. Texas Roadhouse restaurant's CEO. Bed Bath & Beyond's CFO. Anheuser-Bush's CEO. MARTA's CEO. Coors' CEO. Eastman Kodak's CEO. Hyundai's President. Victoria's Secret's founder. Tetris' co-developer. U-Haul's founder.

Some famous celebrity suicides have affected me more than they probably should have: Robin Williams, Chester Bennington, Anthony Bourdain, Kate Spade, Jason David Frank. I myself was so saddened by Chester's passing that I created the artwork above to express myself.

These stats are probably familiar but they're still sobering:

• There are 71 suicides per day.??
• 12th?leading cause of death in 2020, according to the CDC.
• Despite the recent rise in gun violence, there are still more suicides than homicides in the US (26,000 suicides vs. 20,000 homicides in 2021).
• A?2011 study?found an increased suicide rate related to mass layoffs.

Given the current tumultuous?job market, how many employers are proactively offering mental health support services to their newly departed colleagues??I'm sure there is a wide spectrum of both good and bad HR practices.

What stories and examples can you share about the positive impact you've made in this area??I implore you to do more and be more proactive.?Show love and support to your colleagues and your leaders.?Maybe we'd all benefit from visual reminders that?"You are loved.?You are valued."

Help is available -- the Suicide & Crisis hotline is available by dialing 988 in the US.