A special program scheduled for this Thursday is aimed at preventing suicide through education, information and support.  Titled "Breaking the Silence," the event will be held at 6pm inside at Trident Health Finders in the Northwoods Mall.  Every year suicide takes the life of 32,000 people in the United States, a number that continues a steady rise.  Officials with the Trident United Way say one of the most important things anyone can do is talk about the issues.

"There are no guarantees but the more we know the more we are prepared to respond then the better chance we have to help somebody choose life," said Sally Burnett, with the United Way.

She says there are a few warning signs that some friends and family can look out for:

-increased substance abuse

-a change in behavior

-not finding enjoyment in things the person used to like

"We talk about ambivalence, it's not that I want to die, it's that I just can't handle this pain and everything I know to do to cope is not working," she told ABC News 4.

Suicide is the third leading death among teens.

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