Some may already know, but September is known as National Suicide Prevention Awareness month.

Every single day in America, there is an average of 117 people taking their lives.

117.

Let that sink in for a minute. I'll wait.

Now, to help put that into perspective, there were (don't quote me on this) roughly 102 people in my graduating high school class.

Oh look, here is the majority of us. ;)

While I have never personally considered suicide, I do know MANY people who have. I had a friend tell me once, "Sami, I don't care if I die," after swallowing an ungodly amount of pills - and that broke me in more ways than one.

Suicide should be the number one most preventable causes of death on the list. You can't escape cancer, you can't escape car accidents, you can't escape heart attacks, or multiple organ failures. But let me tell you this, you can escape suicide.

If you are struggling with day to day activities, talk to someone. If you notice even slightly suicidal thoughts, talk to someone. If you wake up in the morning and wish you hadn't, talk to someone. If you find the only time you feel "okay" is when you are high on some sort of drug or drunk from the bottle, talk to someone. If you feel unloved, please think about who would grieve if you were gone. If you feel worthless, know that you aren't and that we all have a purpose. If you find yourself in a moment of weakness, use that last bit of strength to dial 911 instead of pulling the trigger. If you feel alone in this world, recognize that there are 7.125 billion other people stumbling around this planet trying to make their way through the day.

You are not alone.

There is help.

You are loved.

Call the National Suicide Hotline day or night at: 1-800-273-8255

Or, call a close friend, a family member, anyone.

We need you here.

<3