The 10th leading cause of death in America today is suicide. Yet, suicide is not inevitable for anyone. Help is available. Hope can happen.

The Suicide Prevention Lifeline suggests, “A person with suicidal thoughts is often overcome with fear and hopelessness. They see no way out and feel that the world would be better off without them. By starting the conversation, providing support, and directing help to those who need it, we can prevent suicides and save lives.” It is also important to know that if you are trying to help someone who is potentially suicidal you must not do it alone. A family member or caregiver of a troubled person may experience difficult emotions and need help for themselves, and help is available.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention reports these findings:

• Suicide is related to brain functions that affect decision-making and behavioral control, making it difficult for people to find positive solutions.

• Ninety percent of people who die by suicide have an underlying – and potentially treatable – mental health condition.

• Depression, bipolar disorder, and substance use are strongly linked to suicidal thinking and behavior.

• No one takes their life for a single reason. Life stresses combined with known risk factors, such as childhood trauma, substance use, or even chronic physical pain, can contribute to someone taking their life.

• Asking someone directly if they are thinking about suicide will not “put the idea in their head.” Most will be relieved someone starts the conversation.

In her book “Praying for Strangers,” River Jordan says, “Sometimes the end of the rope is so near the surface of a person’s soul. And we never know how one drop of rain might just push that person over the edge into the abyss. Yet, one small prayer might be the difference that pulls them back from the brink.”

When Jordan’s two sons were serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, her heart was heavy, and she desperately needed the prayers of other people. In an effort to get her mind off her own fears, she began reaching out to others resolving to pray for at least one stranger each day. It could be the cashier at the grocery store, a man walking down the street, or a person on Facebook. She was easily drawn to people who looked helpless, such as the old man on the corner, the woman in ragged clothing, or the crumpled-over soul at the bus stop. However, she learned that well-dressed ladies driving expensive cars and wearing confident smiles often carried overwhelming, hidden burdens also. Jordan learned that the secret pains of the people around us are endless and that every single person has a story.

In the process of praying for strangers, Jordan became sensitive to nudges from God. While driving down the street one day, she was impressed to knock on the door of a house with a “For Sale” sign in the yard. When a tearful woman answered the door, Jordan knew she had found her stranger for the day. When she offered to pray, the woman confessed that she had been planning suicide and said, “I prayed one last prayer; I said, Lord, if you want me to live and not die today, just send someone to my door who will listen to my story.”

Secret pains, hidden burdens, battles in the mind. Only God knows the deep, dark secrets of hurting people. We live in a destitute world filled with needy people of all descriptions and we are very important to each other. Christians are called to imitate Jesus, to reach out to others and meet each other’s needs. We can give hope to hurting people by listening and praying and telling them about the God who cares.

Virginia Dawkins is the author of Stepping Stones: Steps from Shackles to Freedom, available at Amazon.