In case you didn't know, September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. According to the American Foundation For Suicide Prevention, there are 123 suicides each day in the United States and is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. While you may never have been affected by something as awful as losing a loved one via suicide, I can guarantee you know at least one person struggling with a mental illness. It's unfortunately everywhere, plaguing the lives of so, so many people.
Mental illness is defined in regards to a large range of mental health conditions and affects your behavior, mood, and thinking. It may not be advertised on the outside like a broken arm or a bandaged leg, but it's there, sometimes omnipresent in the forefront of so many minds. It's 2018; the stigma around mental illness has got to go.
So, I'm here to say it, in case you haven't heard it enough:
You matter.
You are loved by so many.
You are not alone.
You are beautiful inside and out.
Your presence makes a wonderful difference in this world.
Things will get better.
This is not the end.
There is life beyond whatever you're feeling.
There is help out there.
Keep going.
There's truly no one like you.
Suicide is something that has become more and more talked about in our society, and I push you to continue to add to the conversation. Fight against it by checking up on your friends, even the ones who "seem strong" and "seem happy". Talk to them. Let them know how important they are to you. Simply be there. Follow up. Everyone needs love; even a simple text could easily make somebody's day. You never know what's going on in someone's mind; make sure you always keep that in mind.