Stuttering and Suicide

At times, people become so desparate they develop what is called "tunnel vision" - they can see no other solution to their problem than ending their life. They have not rejected all the support that they know about and have found helpful in the past, but for a moment, they are not able to see outside the "tunnel" they find themselves in.

There are documented instances of people who stutter who have thought about suicide:

• Charles Van Riper
  • The Joyous Pathfinder: Charles Van Riper - 1905-1994 by Albert T. Murphy
  • By Charles Van Riper - on the end of his life
• Rob

• Stuttering is society's hidden disability - February 17, 2000

If you are thinking of suicide, please seek professional help immediately by calling "911" or a crisis hotline in your area (the number should be listed in your Yellow Pages under Crisis Intervention Services).

There are also several good resources on the Internet about suicide prevention.

• Befriender's International Network in Arabic, Cinese, German, Spanish, French, Japanese, Dutch, Russian, Suomi, Portuguese, Danish. This site also provides Helpline Information from countries around the world.
• Samaritans - "Confidential support for suicide, suicidal thoughts, feelings of despair or distress."
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
• San Francisco Suicide Prevention - America's oldest community crisis hotline
• Yellow Ribbon - a suicide prevention training program.
• Suicide information and education
• Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA)
• Information about Suicide from the National Institute of Mental Health
• Suicide from TeensHealth