There is one death by suicide every 13 minutes in the United States alone and what are we doing about it? We take one week a year to recognize it.
A week is not enough to create awareness about suicide prevention. So why don't we create awareness and suicide prevention 365 days a year, rather than seven?
Two men who make up a musical group are not trying to change people's views on depression, but to create a community and show that no one facing depression is alone. They have been told they have saved peoples lives, given strength, and taught us all to stay alive.
Who are these men you may ask? None other than Twenty One Pilots.
Not necessarily a household name, but their music creates more than just entertainment; it creates hope. As Tyler Joseph, the lead singer of Twenty One Pilots, tells us; humans are struggling all the time when it comes to purpose, trying to figure out what their purpose is, what purpose even is, what’s the point? Everyone should create something with a purpose, that serves as an encouragement for them. Allowing them to create something that has meaning because they made it mean something to them. When you're in a room alone trying to decide whether to stay alive, you can tell yourself, ‘I should probably stay alive because I’m the only one who knows the meaning of that thing.’
Now I am not saying that National Suicide Prevention Week is a waste, but there are hundreds of things in this world that deserve more than a month, a week, or a colored ribbon to acknowledge their existence. There are groups of people who are actively making huge impacts each and everyday. They have no agendas; they just have a message that needs to be shared.
The community, or as Twenty One Pilots calls it their Clique, fosters these ideas daily. Whether your ringtone is set to a song of theirs, you hear "Car Radio" on your own car radio, or a tune of their is stuck in your head their messages surround us each and everyday.
Depression is not something to be afraid of, it is something to embrace. So whether you need to sit in silence every now and then, or you need a shoulder to lean on, or someone to talk to, there's hope. There are people everywhere willing to help, not just during this one week, but 24/7. Twenty One Pilots aren't the only people making a difference on this front, there is help whether it is as urgent as a call to the suicide hotline or pressing play to hear their song, there's hope.
If you ever feel the need please call: 800-273-8255
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