Today is World Suicide Prevention Day. It’s never an easy thing to talk about if you’re struggling, or an easy thing to hear if you’re the one listening. It’s awkward, and deeply personal to discuss emotions, so it’s easy to just avoid the topic all together, to cast it aside with religion and politics as a “thing you don’t talk about.”
But when we don’t talk about it, when we keep it hidden, when we feel like it’s a burden, something happens. It builds and builds until it becomes unbearable, and the unthinkable happens. You find out that someone you love, whether it is a friend, family member, or celebrity, has died by suicide. And the number one thing that you hear all around is, “I didn’t even know they were depressed.”
It’s time to be open and honest about suicide and mental health. I’m not saying that right off the bat, you should bring up the topic in every conversation; start with something small. “How are you?” can be expanded to “How are you feeling?” instead of hollow words said in passing. Little things add up, and it becomes more comfortable to talk about in daily conversation. It becomes normalized instead of stigmatized.
Suicide can be prevented. It starts with overcoming that fear of talking about it. It ends with potentially saving a life.
#worldsuicidepreventionday #normalizementalillness #talkaboutit #suicideawareness #depressionawareness
Jenna L. Hughes 