Suicide Prevention

Today is Suicide Prevention Day. I find it chilling that it is a day before September 11th, a day in American history where nearly 3,000 people died due to a terrorist attack. Families suffered, spouses became widows. Children lost a parent. Parents lost a child. Depression can take hold.

Know the signs. Know that if you see a cut on an arm, that it's not just their business. It is yours, it is their family's. Do not think someone else will say something. Speak up. Help them. Hold them when they need to be held. Talk to them. Encourage them. Help them find hope and light in their dark world, because at that moment, all they truly see is darkness.

Everyone needs help at one point. Everyone needs that little boost of confidence, or that one person who will be there for them. Be that person; when you see someone crying, do not judge them for crying. Wonder why they are crying, and ask them if they're okay -- which they aren't even if they say they are.

Be patient, because that is the biggest part. If you push, they'll push back. Do not give up on them, even if they scream at you. Depression isn't just sadness. It's anger and irritability. Once you know that, just be patient. Don't push as hard, just be there for them. When they look sad, try cheering them up.

If you don't think you are strong enough to help someone, reach out. Go to a counselor, or their parents. Everyone deserves a chance at happiness, and at living. If you see someone self-harming, or hear someone say a chilling statement along the lines of 'I should just end it all,' find someone. Those are signs that they need someone to hear them when they scream.

My best friend attempted suicide multiple times. He's drank bleach, he's bashed his head into a cement wall, and he has OD'd on ADHD pills (if you don't know, ADHD medication is like speed to someone who doesn't have ADHD).

His parents divorced, he came out as a gay high schooler, and was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. So he was suffering the separation of the his family. He was suffering from his dad fully not accepting him because he is an Evangelical Christian, and the onslaught of bullying that comes with being different. And then to top it off, he discovered he has Bipolar Disorder.

His world was dark, so very dark. But I was there. I listened to him, hugged him when he needed a hug. I heard his cries. Even when I was hundreds of miles away, I saved his life. He told me one fateful day, the day before Easter, that he had OD'd on his ADHD meds. His parents couldn't do anything, I don't even remember why at this point.

I wasn't even in the same town as him. My best friend just OD'd, and no one could help him? I called my mom, and told her. She picked my best friend, and watched him diligently that night. She made sure he didn't sleep, made him drink milk. The next morning, Easter, I got a call from him. He was wired, to say the least. He was talking so fast, faster than I think he could think, but he was talking to me. Laughing, too.

Today he has a great fiance, they live together in a nearby small town. He's happy. He wouldn't have met his fiance if he had died. He wouldn't have a great life to look forward to.

Today is Suicide Prevention Day, and know the signs. Don't ignore their silent cries that show form in burns or cuts. Speak up and help them. Today could be the day that, when they go home, it'll be the last time they go home. They won't wake up again. You won't see their smile anymore.

Save a life.