The Dangerous Holiday-Suicide Myth That Won't End - The Atlantic

November and December are actually the months with the fewest suicides. I post this not to diminish people posting suicide numbers but to remind people to be kind and pay attention to your friends and family year round. Depression and suicide are year round issues not just holiday issues.



The Dangerous Holiday-Suicide Myth That Won't End - The Atlantic

A common type of Internet story this time of year, other than the ones about how to bake holiday cookies and how to avoid gaining weight from said holiday cookies, is the one about how to handle holiday stress. You know, the existential crises brought on by solitude, or forced closeness, or whatever personal demons snow+presents+relatives+red cups summon. A common kicker for these studies of seasonal bleakness? “No wonder suicides spike around the holidays.”

It can be good to remind readers that, though most people feel merry during December, it’s also normal to get depressed during the holidays. What’s terrible and dangerous, though, is telling people—falsely—that suicides spike around this time.

According to the CDC, November and December are the months with the fewest suicides.......