In 2023, suicides in Texas alone resulted in 96,305 years of potential lives lost, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP).

Fifty-nine percent of firearm deaths were by suicide.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for adolescents aged 15-24, ranking only behind unintentional accidents.

But unlike accidents, these deaths are preventable.

Lives can be saved.

No one has to suffer in silence.

“Depression is treatable,” licensed psychologist Dr. Alex Foxwell said. “That’s the most important message to give to people who are struggling.”

These deaths don’t just happen out of nowhere — they are the product of long, untreated, internal struggles — struggles that can be recognized and treated.

From friends to trusted adults to professional treatment, help is more readily accessible than ever.

Those who need it the most, though, often don’t know who, how or when to ask for it.

Significant issues initially stem from detachment, alienation and loneliness, growing concerns for young men throughout the past decade.

“Generally, links to depression have a lot to do with isolation,” Director of the Marksmen Wellness Center Dr. Gabby Reed said. “People who are most suicidal are often the ones who are most alone.”

Isolation tends to fall into two categories — a lack of family connectedness and lack of social connectedness — both of which are the two largest contributing factors to suicide. Conversely, high family and social connectedness are cited by the CDC and other studies as the strongest protective factors against suicidal thoughts and actions.

School-related struggles, from academic problems to bullying to conflicts with teachers, can compound these feelings and increase risk. Without those close relationships, no one can recognize a person’s suffering, sometimes not even oneself.

“If you’ve been feeling depressed for a while, it becomes your norm, and it’s almost difficult to recognize that there is something different,” Foxwell said.

And even for those who may realize an ongoing issue, traditional stigmas can dissuade men from asking for help.

“It’s so important for young men to not only signal that they have matured to their friends, to their community, but also to the adults,” Upper School Counselor Dr. Mary Bonsu said. “Some of those natural, biological drives to signal that you are an adult and you can handle your stuff compete with the recommendations of getting help and being a little vulnerable when you can’t do it.”

Because of this, young men are especially vulnerable.

Although data from the CDC shows that adolescent females report higher rates of depression and suicidal thoughts, they are more willing to seek help. And despite making up a majority of cases of depression, women account for far fewer suicidal deaths.

“Because girls use less lethal means, there’s a little bit more room and time to intervene,” Foxwell said. “But with boys and men, they tend to use more lethal means, like guns, hanging, and so there’s are a lot higher risk to complete suicide.”

Males represent around 75 to 80 percent of completed suicides.

That’s why genuine friendships for men are so important in recognizing changes from usual behavior, serving as a critical early warning system.

Yet in today’s digital world, which offers an abundance of surface-level connections, the scarcity of deep relationships has widened.

But when it comes to reducing feelings of isolation, it’s less about the number of friends, and more about the strength of a few close bonds.

“The quality of the friendship is much greater than the quantity in terms of it being a protective factor,” Foxwell said.

Irritability, loss of passion, pessimism.

When multiple significant changes from normal behavior compound over an extended period of time, it’s the right time to intervene.

And although recognizing changes and approaching difficult conversations can be hard, it’s a crucial first step toward recovery.

Reaching out creates trust — trust someone can confide in you.

Trust that things will get better.

Trust that help is just around the corner.

That help — when it reaches the point of crisis — can come from a trusted adult or licensed psychologist like Foxwell.

“As psychologists, the number one thing for us is to try to understand the client or adolescent that we’re working with and figure out exactly what his or her issues are, listen to their concerns and really try to just kind of form a collaborative relationship based on what they need,” Foxwell said.

One of the first tools in that process are safety plans — a personalized roadmap for moments of crisis. Instead of relying on willpower alone, a safety plan can provide clear steps to follow such as coping strategies, trusted people to reach out to and emergency hotlines.

Another common psychological approach is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which helps teens to break down destructive thought patterns and reshape them into healthier ones.

“We try to come up with ways to challenge those thoughts in a realistic way, something that the teen or the client will really believe,” Foxwell said.

Studies from the Journal of the American Medical Association have shown that CBT can be just as effective as medication, if not more in the long run. By giving individuals practical coping strategies, they can builwd resilience long after treatment or therapy ends.

Ultimately, these tools target the roots of the problem and aim to break adolescents out of the cycle of hopelessness. With consistent treatment, they have been life-changing.

“I have seen so many people who were suicidal and needed to go to the hospital because of it, but have really worked through that and have gotten tools and gotten to a place where their depression right now is in remission and they’re doing well and successful,” Foxwell said.

But therapy is only one part of the larger puzzle. Prevention doesn’t have to start in a clinic. It can begin in schools, in families, among friends.

Every September, Suicide Awareness Month serves as an annual reminder that severe mental health struggles are common, that stigma can be reduced and that hopelessness can turn into hope.

Schools and communities host events and campaigns to spread positive messages and educate the public about the warning signs, coping strategies and ways to support friends and family. In times of crisis, resources such as the 988 Suicide and Crisis Hotline are available 24/7 for immediate support.