Unicorns and suicide have something in common: they're both based on fiction. We like to think of suicide as something that doesn't happen to real people, that it's a myth. But the truth is, suicide is all too real. Every day, people of all ages and backgrounds take their own lives. And while we may not know them personally, their deaths have a ripple effect, touching the lives of those who knew and loved them.

September is Suicide Awareness Month. If we're going to prevent suicide, we need to stop treating it like a myth and start acknowledging the very real pain and suffering that leads someone to take their own life. Only then can we hope to provide the support and resources that those in need so desperately deserve.