The Suicide Helpline is 1-800-273-8255 and is open 24/7/365

When Chester Bennington of Linkin Park took his own life, many of us here at iHeartRadio Charlotte were once again stunned by choice of suicide from so many musicians who affect us on a daily basis. 

Suicide has such a stigma that so many people aren't willing to ask for help, talk to anyone, or even admit that something is wrong. We wanted a safe place to talk about the issue, the stigma, how it affects us personally, and what we can do to help.

Jack Daniel from 106.5 The END invited Fonda Bryant from the National Association of Mental Illness (NAMI) to have an open and frank discussion.

There are some staggering numbers associated with mental illness:

• 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. experience mental illness a year. 
• 1 in 5 youth aged 13-18 experiences a serious mental disorder at some point in their life. 
• Only 41% of adults in the U.S. with a mental health condition received mental health services in the past year. 

Suicide alone is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. and each year, 44,193 Americans die by suicide. 

There are, on average, 121 suicides a day.

The Suicide Helpline is 1-800-273-8255 and is open 24/7/365

NAMI is available locally and their helpline is open for families and individuals affected by mental illness. 

Phone: 1-800-451-9682
Email: mail@naminc.org