Help Prevent Suicide, Honor Lost Loved Ones, and Save Lives During Walk at NSU on Sun. Nov. 20

“Out of the Darkness” Community Walk raises awareness and benefits the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

FT. LAUDERDALE-DAVIE, Fla. – Every 15 minutes, somewhere in the United States another life will be lost to suicide – the third leading cause of death among 15 to 24-year-olds.

Despite the list of shocking and tragic headlines about students who take their own lives, many Americans remain unaware that suicide is a national health problem that claims more than 36,000 lives each year.

Nova Southeastern University (NSU) students hope to help change this by participating in the school’s third annual “Out of the Darkness” Walk to Prevent Suicide starting at 9 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 20. The walk will benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) in its mission to prevent suicide and assist those affected by suicide.

Already, NSU’s Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority has raised more than $40,000 to date to help promote suicide prevention and awareness. Join NSU’s students to show support for the surviving families and friends of Americans who die by suicide, and the 20 million people who suffer from depression each year.

Day of walk registration will start at 8 a.m. with the walk beginning at 9 a.m. on NSU’s main campus in Davie at 3301 College Ave, in the courtyard between NSU’s Alvin Sherman Library and the H. Wayne Huizenga building. This is the third Out of the Darkness Community Walk to be held in Broward County.

Supporting the walk also helps to raise funds for suicide prevention research and educational programs, erase the stigma surrounding suicide and its causes, and encourage those who are suffering from mental illness to seek treatment. “Out of the Darkness” Community Walks are taking place in more than 200 communities across the country this fall.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is the leading national not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research, education and advocacy, and to reaching out to people with mental disorders and those impacted by suicide.

For more information, to register or to make donations for the “Out of the Darkness” Community Walk at NSU, visit www.outofthedarkness.org or call 954-262-7482.

SIDEBARS (from ReportingOnSuicide.org):

Warning Signs of Suicide

• Talking about wanting to die
• Looking for a way to kill oneself
• Talking about feeling hopeless or having no purpose
• Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain
• Talking about being a burden to others
• Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs
• Acting anxious, agitated or recklessly
• Sleeping too little or too much
• Withdrawing or feeling isolated
• Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge
• Displaying extreme mood swings

The more of these signs a person shows, the greater the risk. Warning signs are associated with suicide, but may not be what causes a suicide.

What To Do

If someone you know exhibits warning signs of suicide:

• Do not leave the person alone
• Remove any firearms, alcohol, drugs or sharp objects that could be used in a suicide attempt
• Call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255)
• Take the person to an emergency room or seek help from a medical or mental health professional

THE NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE 800-273-TALK (8255) is a free, 24/7 service that can provide suicidal persons or those around them with support, information and local resources.

About Nova Southeastern University: Situated on 300 beautiful acres in Davie, Florida, Nova Southeastern University is a dynamic fully accredited institution dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs of distinction from preschool through the professional and doctoral levels. NSU has more than 29,000 students and is the seventh largest not-for-profit independent institution nationally. The university awards associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, specialist, doctoral, and first-professional degrees in a wide range of fields, including business, counseling, computer and information sciences, education, medicine, optometry, pharmacy, dentistry, various health professions, law, marine sciences, early childhood, psychology and other social sciences. For more information visit www.nova.edu.

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Media Contact:
Andra Liwag, NSU Office of Public Affairs
954-262-5309 office, 954-873-8494 cell, andrali@nova.edu