[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 107 (Tuesday, June 25, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H5163]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  SUICIDE AND MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES

  (Ms. WILD asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. WILD. Mr. Speaker, as some are aware, today marks the 1-month 
anniversary of the death of my beloved life partner, Kerry Acker. What 
most people don't know is that Kerry's death was a suicide.
  Kerry was 63 years old. He shouldn't have had a care in the world. He 
was financially secure and had a warm, loving family and dozens of 
friends. He loved them all. And yet, incomprehensibly, he seemingly did 
not grasp the toll his absence would have on those who loved him.
  Why am I sharing this very personal story? Because we all need to 
recognize that mental health issues know no boundaries. I do not want 
anyone else to suffer as he suffered, nor for any family to suffer as 
mine has over the past month.
  This is a national emergency. In 2017, there were more than 47,000 
suicides in this country and more than 1.4 million suicide attempts. 
Across our country, suicides rose by 30 percent between 1999 and 2018.
  Behind these numbers are grieving partners and spouses, parents and 
children, siblings, friends, and relatives. Every community in our 
country has been touched in some way by major mental health challenges.
  Removing the stigma cannot just be a slogan. We need to make it real 
through our actions. That means building a future where people truly 
understand that they should feel no more shame over seeking treatment 
for this disease than they would seeking treatment for any other 
disease or medical condition.
  To anyone out there who is struggling, I am urging you to reach out. 
There are people who love you and who will suffer more than you know if 
they lose you. Help is available 24/7 through 911 or the National 
Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-TALK.
  To anyone who is concerned about someone in their life, please pick 
up the phone or take that drive to go see them. Don't wait.

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