One of the things that I see deteriorating with alarming speed is a sense of community spirit in society. What can we as individuals do to revive that? It's sad how many lonely people there are in the world and I don't think it has to be that way.

I believe many suicides could be prevented if only that person had felt one person genuinely cared about them and would miss them. According to the NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health), it's not youngsters that are the highest suicide risk. It's seniors. The NIMH states that:

Older Americans are disproportionately likely to die by suicide.

• Of every 100,000 people ages 65 and older, 14.2 died by suicide in 2006. This figure is higher than the national average of 10.9 suicides per 100,000 people in the general population. 


• Non-Hispanic white men age 85 or older had an even higher rate, with 48 suicide deaths per 100,000.

Source

No one should ever feel so isolated, howvever old they are. So what can we do to encourage people to be neighborly again and look out for each other? I feel fear is the factor here. We as a society have become so scared of each other and the world that we can't see beyond that. There's many more goodhearted, ordinary people in society that want to have a nice life the same as we do. They want their children to grow up to be the same good people. They want to have friends they can count on. No matter who or where you are, know this: we're all more alike than we think.

The only way to find that out is to get to know each other again and care. It shouldn't take a crisis to make us think about checking up on an elderly neighbor or supporting a suddenly bereaved family with a kind word, should it? How hard is it to nod and smile? A little human interaction goes a long way if you're elderly and living alone.

Let's hear some practical suggestions on breaking down those barriers and building communities again please. Thanks!