Banks Receive Suicide Prevention Training

KTLA Special Report: Reaching Out: Survivors of Suicide - ktla.com: "'Our calls to the hotline have doubled since the economy collapsed,' Curry says. 'In our hotline, we've found we're receiving many more calls where people do bring up stresses related to work, finances, and mortgages.'

And the survivors' personal tales bear this out.
Mary Halligan's husband Lanny had lost his job. 'He got worse and worse, and he said, 'You know, if I was still working, I could handle this a lot better,'' Mary says. 'He said 'It's like being in a big, black abyss and not seeing any way out.''

April Kubachka's son Kyle couldn't face the financial road he saw ahead. 'On his salary, without going to school, he realized he wasn't going to make it, so he felt hopeless, and helpless,' April says.

Today the Didi Hirsch call center is even receiving calls from banks and mortgage companies, requesting prevention training. 'For the first time in their employees' history,' Curry explains, 'People are saying 'I may as well kill myself.' They don't know how to answer that.'

NOTES: The bolding added is my emphasis. Sitting in courts watching the stacks of evictions files in lawyer's hands, I often wonder how people can handle the stuff I see happening. Not only are they foreclosed on (often without being helped by any programs); but they now have ruined credit, are being evicted with just 5 days to get out. (that is in states that allow you 5, some offer you 3 days) . In a non-judicial state that is almost impossible to fight - especially if you have no fund for lawyers, if you even know where to find a competent lawyer that is familiar with foreclosure defense. Finding a new home with ruined credit, animals and kids has split up many families.

(To critics yes I know to spell out numbers under 10 - but visually it makes an impact to use numerals.)

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