It still feels like people are squeamish talking about depression and suicide.
And that I just don’t understand, especially considering that all of us has some experience with depression. Maybe it gets you during the winter or summer, maybe it gets you after a death in your family or maybe you know someone who has to deal with it.
It’s a beast we all know.
To hell with your being uncomfortable, the annual age-adjusted suicide rate is 12.93 per 100,000 people. Men die by suicide 3.5x more often than women. On average, there are 117 suicides per day. White males accounted for 7 of 10 suicides in 2014.
That’s it.
Everything else is filler. It’s crap.
How is this not the top story every night, everywhere? How are we not all up in arms, begging for a solution? It just seems like we all put this is a corner because it wasn’t easy to look at.
I’m done blinding myself. I’m staring right at the damn thing. I won’t sit by and do nothing. I can’t.
I see people on social media posting these absolutely ridiculous things about positive thinking and choosing to be happy. If it was a choice, why the hell would anyone choose to be depressed? To be contemplating suicide?
Hint: nobody would freaking choose that. It’s a mental illness, you dolt.
Things like that are a symptom of a much larger, systemic misunderstanding of what depression is and how it manifests itself in people. It’s a complete ignorance to the reasons someone commits suicide.
I can forgive that, though. It’s not anyone’s fault other than mine. I haven’t done enough to quell the stigma and promote the solution, which is knowledge. That’s it.
This is a problem we can fix if we all agree to sit down and study up. It’s not quantum physics, it’s not rocket science. We can do this. All we have to do to start is to be willing to learn.
So, I’m going to try and start.
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is a voluntary health organization dedicated to raising awareness, fund research and aid in ending stigma around mental health issues. They have chapters in all 50 states and have some incredible information on suicide and depression. It’s sobering in more ways than one and is a fantastic jumping off point.
You can find them here.
SAVE (Suicide Awareness Voices of Education) is a national nonprofit organization governed by an all-volunteer Board of Directors that works toward public awareness and understanding of suicide. They do public work around the country promoting education and understanding and you can start your own SAVE event near you on their website. It’s a wonderful place to get involved physically in the fight.
There are several Twitter pages that work to prevent suicide and educate the public. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, The Trevor Project and To Write Love On Her Arms all have tremendous social media presences on Twitter and I encourage you to follow them or find them all on Facebook.
I guess all I have left to say is to anyone struggling. It could be because it’s December, it could be for any reason. Seasonal, situational, whatever. This applies to everyone.
I don’t care about your situation. Just don’t die. Never, ever die. Never die.
Go get help. You are the only one in control of your fate, go get help. Talk to someone, anyone. This fight is just too damn hard to win on your own and there’s no point in losing because you were too prideful to admit that you need help.
You can’t possibly know all ends. You don’t know how tomorrow will turn out until you’re in it. Just try and make it to tomorrow. One day at a time.
That’s all any of us can do.
Never die.
