To most, suicide might be a subject that we tend to avoid and some may believe that its not even a real issue. Usually the problems that are the hardest to address are the ones that we so badly need to be talking about. Suicide is one of these things.
In the U.S., Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death and each year about 42,773 Americans die by suicide. This does not include suicide attempts and there are about 25 attempts for every suicide in America. I mean on average, there are about 117 suicides per day. These numbers are way too high for this to not be more commonly known or talked about. Speaking out about the issue is the first step to aiding the issue.
Since there is so much stigma surrounding mental health, these numbers could be much higher due to those that are not reported. Which this is yet another reason to end the stigma. I understand that most could not understand how or why anyone else could feel this way, but the bottom line is that there are those who struggle with this battle every single day. It is so hard to agree with things that we do not understand, but until we all work together as a society to try and create a more so open environment, I am afraid that these numbers will only rise. Most who deal with this are dealing with some sort of mental illness that they themselves are not even aware of or understand because they cannot seek the help that they need due to the judgment of others. Which is so sickening to me because what if they would have been able to find help? Yet they never would have known since we have only ever been taught that mental illnesses are a figment of our imaginations.
Different projects that have been created to raise awareness such as the semicolon project, are absolutely amazing. If you have not heard of this movement it is basically the idea of getting a semicolon tattoo in order to show suicide awareness. In literature, a semicolon represents where an author could have chosen to end the story or the sentence yet chose to continue on. The semicolon represents where a person could have ended it all yet chose to push on. Which I think this idea is beautiful because tattoos are such a great conversation starter and open up the opportunity of better understanding for others. Ideas like this help us get a little closer to where we need to be.
Another thing that I believe could help would be gaining an awareness of others. By this, I mean looking outside of ourselves and realizing that how we treat others does have a real impact on how they may feel or even look at themselves. The way that our culture works is we are constantly going. We never really have time to stop and smell the roses or to see those around us as we are going about our day. This is something that we could slowly work at to improve. Instead of constantly picking at others and judging, why not consider the idea of you really have no idea what they’re going through. Everyone you pass throughout your day is facing some sort of obstacle or battle of their own, so why make it that much harder? Instead of shunning what you don’t understand, just try and accept that you are not meant to understand everything. This sounds ridiculous but getting through life is extremely hard and sometimes its best if we don’t make it that much harder for someone else.
To anyone who may be contemplating the end. As hard as it is, please just live. Reach out. Find someone who understands. I know it may seem so impossible but I promise that more people understand than you think. Life is so hard, I know, and you may feel as if there is no longer a point, but there is. Its so much easier said than done but it is all very much possible even though the world may make it seem so impossible. If you ever need someone, you can always contact me. Let's talk about it all. Let's be the generation to start the conversation.
