If you took a moment to stop and think, how many of your friends or family members have been impacted by mental health issues? Or if they have not, how many of their family or friends have been?
Suicide is the SECOND leading cause of death for college students, ages 18-24.
Every 12.3 minutes, someone in this country will die at their own hands.
But yet, when someone reaches out for help, what do we do? Do we help them? Or do we, as a country and a community, reflect an all-too-common stigma that talking about how you are feeling will only lead to more trouble and judgment?
So many people in this world are hurting and struggling every day to survive, they have nowhere to turn and no one to turn to. College-aged students are at an increased risk due to the added pressure of rigorous degree programs and the social stress they will face on a day to day basis. Without the proper support in place, an end to the stigma surrounding mental illness, lives will continue to be lost. Futures and promising aspirations will continue to die with America's most at-risk population. So what can we do to help?
At my college, St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York, we will be holding our first annual "Out of the Darkness Campus Walk" on March 26, 2017, sponsored by NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) and The Student Nursing Association, in support of people struggling with mental illness and to raise awareness for suicide prevention. Most importantly, however, is the goal of stopping the horrifying stigma surrounding Anxiety, Depression and other mental illness. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention hopes to reduce the suicide rate by 20% by the year 2025, however, they cannot do this without the help of the community to raise awareness.
Together we can make a difference in turning lives around so that there will be no more fear. So there will be no more darkness.
#StopTheStigma
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental illness, visit The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention at https://afsp.org/ or call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255
