CoolItGirl,
I'm so sorry for your loss. The few people I've known who committed suicide, I did not know very well - friends of friends kind of thing. But I am fortunate.
I do believe, with the downturn of the economy, depression is on the rise. Anytime there's a sense of hopelessness, the suicide rate goes up too. This isn't new. There was an immediate spike in suicides in 1929, after the "Great Crash". The suicide rate continued to be much higher than normal during the Great Depression and eventually fell during WWII. So times got better once before and they will get better again.
I think a big issue is the large amount of lonely people out there. Ironically, we have all these devices that help us to connect to each other now like the Internet and cell phones but I think people feel more isolated than ever.
Families move so much these days and rarely get to know their neighbors anymore. There's no sense of community. When a spouse dies, the widow/widower is alone for many years because people are living longer - which is a good thing, of course, but if the surviving spouse has no other family those last few years can get lonely. Then there's the mentally and physically disabled who, if they don't have family or some type of support, usually get their human companionship in the form of a home health aide or monthly appointment with a doctor.
I remember not too long ago watching a t.v. show about a day in the life of a medical examiner in, I think, Los Angeles. She investigated two suicides. One person died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound and the other stepped in front of a city bus (I think). Anyway, it was sad because she was having trouble locating family or friends for both victims. It took her a long time to find someone to inform of their deaths. Very sad.
So I say we need to start reaching out to people again. I mean, why not get to know your elderly neighbor? Just knock on the door and start talking. Older people are interesting and tell great stories. What about the guy in the community who keeps to himself and seems a bit strange? Maybe he wants a friend but is socially awkward and has no idea how to reach out.
How about offering a smile to those who are different from or who have less than you? (I mean a genuine smile, not a fake, sorority sister smile.) You never know what the smallest gesture could mean to someone.
And churches need to step up too, without trying to convert every visitor that walks through the doors. This is why many people don't turn to churches - especially the snotty mega-churches. They smell a hidden agenda.
Sorry my post is so long but this is a worthy thread. Suicide and depression need to be discussed more, and more honestly. There's no guarantee that anything you do will prevent someone from going through with suicide, but it can't hurt to really start reaching out to the lonely, the disabled and the depressed.
I hope you are speaking to someone about your own pain, CoolItGirl. You're in my thoughts.