Link – CDC says more Americans died of suicide last year than in at least 50 years

The fact that life expectancy is on the decline, in a time when technology and health care continues to find new ways to keep people alive, is shocking. So shocking in fact that right now we are looking at being compared to this:

“For decades, U.S. life expectancy was on the upswing, rising a few months nearly every year. Now it’s trending the other way: It fell in 2015, stayed level in 2016, and declined again last year, the CDC said.

The nation is in the longest period of a generally declining life expectancy since the late 1910s, when World War I and the worst flu pandemic in modern history combined to kill nearly 1 million Americans. Life expectancy in 1918 was 39.”

If you read further at the link, you’ll discover that the suicide rate has not been this high since 1975. Part of it is an aging population, but the death rates are increasing across the board for all age groups are going up. What we are doing in regards to addiction and mental health, is not working well enough.

We need new solutions, less stigma, and more support and compassion.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/suicide-at-50-year-peak-pushes-down-u-s-life-expectancy-1.4197202