September is well known for Labor Day and the start of a new school year. What this month also represents is National Suicide Prevention Week, which starts Sunday, September 8th and runs until Saturday September 14th.
Lack of information can cause us to miss out on signs and awareness when it comes to mental health. We often think because someone is smiling or ‘appears’ to have their life together that things are okay. . Don Cornelius. Lee Thomas Young, Kate Spade, and Anthony Bourdain are a few known celebrities that astonished the world when after they committed suicide. It causes us to think for a moment, to be grateful for life and to ponder on what they were dealing with that provoked them to end their life.
Life is HARD.
There is no doubt about it. We are just one specimen in this world and there are billions of people on this planet that deal with difficult decisions daily. According to American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the US. In 2017, around 47,000 Americans died by suicide. This makes us wonder what we need to do as a society to help those who are suffering inside.
And no it’s not THAT easy.
Not everyone is going to admit they want to hurt themselves. However, a trusted relationship with someone can go a long way. When someone feels alone and don’t think they can talk to anyone about something, suicide ideations can occur. It’s important to be there for our loved ones and to have an open conversation about mental health issues. Over the years I would hear people put off talking about mental health. They don’t want to be seen as ‘different’ or ‘weak’ when they want to discuss something that is bothering them. And here’s a little secret, even those who you consider your ‘strong friends’ struggle at times when life becomes complicated. We have all been there and to be honest, it’s time for a change, and that change needed to start like yesterday. If you know someone or if a person brings up any issues they are facing, be open about it. It’s hard enough to build the courage and talk to someone about mental illness. So don’t judge them because that is the least thing they need to hear.
Let’s be CLEAR.
No one is expecting you to be a therapist. But, we all have the ability to listen and allow that person to express how they feel. If a person doesn’t talk about their problems their stress has the ability to stay inside of them. Which can cause a disturbance and lead to stress, depression, anxiety, suicidal ideations, and a boatload of other issues tied into mental illness. People have the tendency to think the worse I know I do at times. But there is a big difference when you have a support system or someone you can rely on that won’t pass judgement or tell your business to other people. This is one of the reasons I believe people lack trust in one another. No one wants to enter a room where EVERYONE knows their personal business. It’s just not fair.
What NEXT?
You might not know how to respond to a friend when they tell you they are faced with a major problem. I get it. But we ALL should know or have some idea of what to do next when we or someone we know are faced with challenges. That is why I created Helpful Living Magazine, our issues talk about mental health and those who are dealing with it firsthand can tell you their experience. If you haven’t done so take a moment to check out our first issue, our next issue will be published later this fall. There are also those who work with individuals that struggle with mental illness, and they can tell you how to approach a person and most importantly, how to be there for them. We all can speculate what someone is going through, but not often are we able to read real stories in a mental health magazine publish and available for consumers. Mental health is real yall, and it’s not going anywhere. Fact is, mental illness has been around for a long time, and it has come to a point where some of us are okay with talking about it. In our next issue we will have conversation starters and things supporters can do to help those who are struggling with mental illness.
We don’t want to wait until it’s too late, when we are getting a phone call about a loved one that succeeded in a suicide attempt. There is something we all can do and the time starts now.
Let’s Start the Conversation:
What are some things you want to learn when it comes to mental health? Have you been there for someone when they were dealing with a mental health issue? What did you do? Let’s start the conversation and allow healing to start in our communities.