The video “Choose to Stay” provides a glimpse through the eyes of a young man struggling with suicidal thoughts brought on by the stresses, pressures, and expectations of life.

“I tried to smile and hide my darkness. I remember waking up on my 17th birthday wanting to end my life.”

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Over 800,000 people die by suicide worldwide every year. In the United States, suicide rates have surged to the highest levels in nearly 30 years, with increases in every age group.

Please visit suicide.ChurchofJesusChrist.org to learn about warning signs and learn how to help.

In many cases, suicide prevention is a painful, long-term process. In this video, this young man talks about his struggle with depression and the persistent feelings of pain and emptiness that seemed overwhelming.

Ultimately, he chose to stay alive for his family and his friends. He chose to stay alive and experience the small and simple things that he loves. He chose to stay alive because he finally realized that he doesn’t have to stay alone. His message to others fighting the same battle is, “You can choose to stay too.”

If you are considering suicide, please call The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK [8255].

See these helpful resources:

• Website suicide.ChurchofJesusChrist.org, which is also available in the Gospel Library app in the Life Help section.
• Preventing Suicide and Responding after a Loss, a 6-page guide that reviews Church doctrine on suicide, the warning signs of suicide, how to help someone in crisis, and how to respond after a suicide loss. Leaders should review this document with stake and ward councils and discuss how to support community efforts and how to inform members about available resources. See this notice to leaders.
• New articles in this month’s (September 2019) magazines: “Knowing ‘Enough’ about Suicide (Ensign)” and “Divine Destiny” (New Era).
• Articles from previous issues: “Suicide: Myths and Facts” (Ensign), “Ambassadors of Hope: Working Together to Prevent Suicide” (New Era), and “Suicide Prevention” (helps for children).
• A series of hopeful videos from Elder Dale G. Renlund, Sister Carol F. McConkie, a woman who found hope after surviving a suicide attempt, and a father who endured the suicide of his son away at college.
• LDS365 maintains an extensive list of Church and community resources “Best LDS Resources to Help with Suicide.”