Guest AuthorIt is difficult to sit across from Jason A. Tompkins and not feel that he is on an incredible mission.
Tompkins, chair of the newly chartered Tampa Bay Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, is passionate about the tragedy of suicide.
But he also clearly enjoys organizing people for a cause he cares about deeply.
On Saturday (Oct. 26), he stood in Straub Park with those who have lost a loved one to suicide, attempted suicide themselves or struggled to prevent a friend or relative from committing suicide.
Suicide is a mostly ignored societal crisis. In 2010 — the most recent year for which data are available — the CDC reported 38,364, making suicide the 10th leading cause of death for Americans.
Over the course of one year, someone in the country died by suicide every 13.7 minutes. Because there is no way to accurately count suicide attempts, those figures are not included.
Suicide far outpaced homicide as a cause of death. In 2010, there were 16,259 homicides.
Suicide is incredibly expensive for the country.
The cost is estimated to be $34 billion annually in lost productivity and wages. Non-fatal injuries due to self-harm — which typically means attempted suicide — cost an estimated $3 billion annually for medical care. Indirect costs such as lost wagers and productivity account for another $5 billion.
In Pinellas County, 187 people committed suicide in 2010, compared to 41 homicides, and 44 deaths from HIV. Homicide and HIV cases have gone down in recent years. Suicides are increasing.
Is the purpose of groups like Tompkins’ chapter of AFSP to serve as a support network for those who have lost loved ones? Or is it to serve as an advocacy voice seeking to prevent suicide?
Tompkins, a licensed clinical social worker, seems to have found the balance.
“The trend is increasing in this country, and we don’t quite know why,” he said. “We do know that 90 percent of people who die by suicide suffered from a diagnosable and treatable mental illness. We also know that suicide risk is increased significantly when someone in the same family completes a suicide.”
Tompkins said the Tampa Bay area has several agencies that provide quality mental-health care.
He speaks naturally of prevention. He weaves through the statistics with ease, and talks about the state-of-the-art screening tool on the AFSP website.
AFSP’s signature prevention program, the Interactive Screening Program, is a web-based method for anonymously connecting people at risk for suicide to a counselor.
It is being used by the NFL — at nfllifeline.org — the U.S. military, and various workplaces and universities.
But he brings something more than just the view of an advocate. Tompkins is equally comfortable talking about the work of AFSP as a support mechanism for those who have lost someone to suicide.
“Time,” he says, “does not heal all wounds. That is a myth. There are times you will be ambushed by grief.”
But involvement in organizations like AFSP, and the Out of the Darkness Community Walk, helps survivors build the capacity to survive within themselves, helps them become aware of ability to shine a light on something that has too long been quiet.
More about the 2013 Out of the Darkness AFSP Community Walk in St. Petersburg can be found here.
More about the work of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, including the crisis hotline, can be found here. The Crisis Hotline number is: 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
A list of support groups for people dealing with suicide loss can be found here.
