S.6/E.2
Although there is no single cause to suicide, suicide is a major public health concern. Over 47,000 people died by suicide in the United States in 2017; it is the 10th leading cause of death overall. Suicide is complicated and tragic, but it is often preventable. Knowing the warning signs for suicide and how to get help can help save lives. It most often occurs when stressors exceed current coping abilities of someone suffering from a mental health condition. Our guest today, Korey Burris, is a suicide survivor and speaks openly about this difficult topic.
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25 years after shooting himself, Orange man focuses life on preventing suicide, saving others
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Author: Kelsey Johnson
Published: 1:48 PM CST January 31, 2019
Updated: 8:03 AM CST February 1, 2019
ORANGE, Texas —
Immediately after he pulled the shotgun's trigger he regretted his decision.
Korey Burris, of Orange, was 17-years-old at the time of his 1994 suicide attempt.
Twenty five years after attempting suicide and multiple surgeries later Burris, now 42, has focused his life on helping others who may be contemplating the same decision.
Burris says when he was young he knew his father had only wanted a single child household.
"My mother was on birth control and my dad only wanted one child and I have an older brother," Burris said.
At the age of 16, Burris' best friend committed suicide. He says it was devastating and vowed to never do something like that. But a year later, on January 8, 1994, Burris tried to kill himself.