.jpg)
Wlaf1450
By Michael Yates
OAK RIDGE, TN. (WLAF)- Are you familiar with the gut-wrenching feeling you get when you learn that someone has died by suicide? “It happened again,” you may think in quiet, sad disbelief. You’re not alone in that feeling.
Your stomach drops. You feel hollow. Your thoughts race with questions—how, why, what could have been different? The answers rarely come. Not in an hour, not in a day, sometimes not at all. And yet, as Bessel van der Kolk reminds us, “your body keeps the score.” We carry it. We feel it.”
This kind of loss has become all too familiar in too many communities, schools, workplaces, and families. It leaves behind a wake of grief and unanswered questions—how did this person become so overwhelmed by despair that ending their life felt like the only way to stop the pain?
We think of the family. The friends. The co-workers and classmates.
What must they be feeling? What do we do now?
May is Mental Health Awareness Month—a timely opportunity not only to acknowledge this tragedy, but to honor every life that is hurting. This year’s theme, “More good days together,” offers a hopeful vision: that tomorrow can be better than today when we’re together.
The urgency behind that message is clear. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 50,000 people in the United States died by suicide in 2023, the highest number ever recorded. Suicide remains a leading cause of death, with growing concern among youth and young adults ages 10 to 24. Here in Tennessee, rates consistently exceed the national average, with elevated risk in many rural communities across East Tennessee.
We understand many of the contributors: social isolation, anxiety and depression, substance use, and the pressures of an increasingly complex and divisive world.
And we also know what helps. Strong social connection. Access to mental health care. Crisis support. Communities that show up, check in, and walk alongside those who are struggling.
“More good days together” is more than a theme—it’s a call to action. A call to notice one another. To reach out. To reduce the stigma around asking for help. To make it easier—not harder—for people to access support.
Because approximately every 10 to 11 minutes, someone in this country dies by suicide. Each loss sends ripples of grief through families, schools, and communities—leaving others to carry that same hollow, gut-wrenching feeling.
It happened again.
But together, we can work toward a future where it happens less often. A future where more people find support before despair takes hold. A future where we truly create more good days—together.
For those who find anxiety, isolation, or fear becoming overwhelming, it is important to remember that help is available. Local organizations like Ridgeview stand ready to help individuals and families find a path forward with tools and support for navigating difficult emotions.
If you or someone you know is in need of professional support, Ridgeview is here to help. Care can begin today through Ridgeview’s Walk-in Clinic locations in Anderson, Campbell, Fentress, Morgan, Scott, and Roane counties. Visit www.ridgeview.com to learn more.
For anyone experiencing a mental health crisis, Ridgeview’s Mobile Crisis Line is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year at 1-800-870-5481.
Michael Yates is the Director of Development at Ridgeview Behavioral Health Services
Ridgeview is a private, not for profit community mental health center serving Anderson, Campbell, Fentress, Morgan, Roane, Scott, and Union counties.
(WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED 5/12/2026-6AM-PAID)