Care/Connection Key to Stemming County’s Rising Suicide Rate

Seth Riddley/Special to the Anderson Observer

Last week, I was listening to Taylor Swift’s latest album when I saw the news from our Coroner that 2025 is now officially the worst year for suicides in the 200-year history of Anderson County. 

The song that was playing is called “Opalite,” named for the man-made stone that glows and shines in the light and hides the fractures on the inside that make it vulnerable to cracking.

Many of our strongest men and women in Anderson County are like opalite. They were shaped by difficult beginnings. They became helpers because early in life there was no one to help them. They shine in public because they worked hard for that light. Their resilience is real, but so is the pressure beneath it. They stay quiet, believing they should never crack. They show up day in and day out for us, but behind their brilliant smiles, many carry great burdens quietly.

As of November 17, 2025, the Anderson County Coroner reported 55 suicides. Our previous record was 54 in 2015 and again in 2020. By the same date last year, there were 28. These are not just numbers. They are our neighbors, coworkers, parents, siblings, teenagers, and older adults. The deaths range in age from 16 to 87.

Years ago, after a series of suicides on my college campus, I wrote that saying the word suicide should not end the conversation. It should begin it. That still feels true. We cannot change our numbers in Anderson County if we treat mental suffering as something to hide. We need a community where even the people who look strong feel safe enough to say they are not. We need a community that can hold the shine and the strain at the same time.

A healthy county is not one that expects perfection. It is one that makes room for honesty. It is a place where the people who have always glowed for others can step back for a moment without fear. They will not lose their shine by doing so. They will gain strength by being seen.

If we want to reduce these record-breaking suicide numbers, we must build a culture that sees both the glow and the cracks. We must offer care before crisis, connection before collapse, and real attention before tragedy. The opalites who carry us deserve nothing less.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, help is available. Call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 for free, confidential support. You can also text HOME to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line. For local support, contact the Anderson County Department of Mental Health at (864) 260-2220. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.