Local organizations in North Texas are providing resources for individuals coping with the loss of a loved one to suicide. The Denton County Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors (LOSS) Team, which partners with Denton County MHMR, and the Suicide & Crisis Center of North Texas, a Dallas-based nonprofit, both offer support groups for those affected by these deaths.
These services are highlighted during September, which is designated as National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.
Lavida Davison, the executive director of the Suicide & Crisis Center of North Texas, noted that the impact of suicide extends beyond the individual who died. She stated that it affects family members and friends, creating a ripple effect that underscores the need for support systems.
Davison emphasized that the importance of having someone to relate to often becomes clear only after a person has experienced such a loss.
The article includes a personal account from a survivor whose cousin, Stevie, died by suicide in 2001. Stevie, who was in his early 20s, had been homeless in West Texas following a stay at a drug rehabilitation facility in Abilene.
The account describes the challenges faced by the family during the funeral, including the lack of embalming before the remains were transported from Dallas to Oklahoma. The survivor noted that resources for suicide survivors were less accessible in the early 2000s compared to today.
National data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that approximately 48,800 people died by suicide in the United States in 2024. The agency also reported that an estimated 14.3 million adults seriously considered suicide, 4.6 million planned it, and 2.2 million attempted it in that same year.
