Welcome To National Suicide Prevention Day; Let's Save Some Lives Everyday, Not Just Today

I know I just posted something a few days ago in regards to national suicide prevention week and some information on it, but this is the most important day of the week.  

In the strangest way possible, this day reminds me of Valentine's Day. For some crazy reason, some people choose to only shower their loved one on that particular day more than any other day out of the year. I've never understood it, because it should be like that every single day. The same should be said for a day like today. 

National Suicide Prevention Week/Day - which doesn't seem to be limited to just the states these days - is not meant to be used in order to speak about mental health topics only once a year. They are used to bring light to a group of individuals suffering. It gets people talking about the things that need to be talked about.  

If you are someone who only shares articles on Facebook, talks about these topics, and reaches out to people only on this specific week, I beg of you to make it a part of your weekly, if not daily life.  

The people of the mental health community appreciate this week more than anyone will ever know. However, the one thing that makes us break even more inside, is when people only seem to care one week out of each year. In that case, it seems like people only want to care because they want to fit in with the people around them. If they have a few friends or family members talking about it, then they should too in order to make it seem like they care, right? I don't doubt that these people do care. But it doesn't show a very high level of care when it's only spoken about in their lives for 7 days out of 365. 

Every 30 seconds, someone commits suicide. For every one person who does, 20 or more will attempt it. These are only the reported cases. Thousands go unrecorded due to no one finding out or if there is no medical treatment for those who survived. There are thousands of unreported or unsolved deaths for those who have succeeded that are not included in these numbers. So let's make one thing clear. 

 Mental illness exists 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. NSPW/NSPD is not an event that indicates suicide only happens during this particular week. This means that we should be talking about mental health and the stigma behind it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. For as long as it exists and people are effected, we should be talking about it.  

I cannot stress enough how awful suicide is. The entire concept of it makes me physically hurt for those who feel suicide is the answer. Someone taking their own life doesn't seem to be as validated as much as a person who kills others is. Suicide is a heartbreaking concept because these beautiful people deserve to live their beautiful lives, and they don't see it like that. 

The individuals that have succeeded in taking their own lives felt as if there was no other way out. The pain was too extraordinary for them to consider handling it any longer. They might not have been receiving the treatment and/or care that they needed. Feelings of loneliness and abandonment are sometimes a factor. These beautiful people feel alone in this world and that's for several reasons. It's likely they felt like no one understood their pain. Possibly because their friends or family seemed like they were oblivious to how they were feeling. These awful events are also happening because people aren't speaking up about it. There is a very large stigma behind mental illness, specifically suicide. When they don't feel like they had a voice, they might have looked to others around them to have a voice for them. But if no one was speaking up about it, they had no voice for anyone to hear, even if it was through others. Those who have attempted suicide but did not succeed, are likely feeling and experiencing some of the things I mentioned, if not all, as well as other circumstances that have driven them to the point of attempting. 

If you are currently thinking about attempting or have attempted and wished you had succeeded, please remember that you are important in this world. You need to continue living because there would be someone extremely special and unique, someone who matters, missing from this earth.  

One of the biggest things I love about NSPD is seeing all of the people in the world walking around with shirts or bracelets that have some kind of reference to suicide prevention. This year, I get to spend it in Croatia and I'm so excited to see what it's like to experience this day internationally. If you see someone wearing something in relation to this day, possibly consider saying something encouraging to them. They could either be someone contemplating suicide, someone in recovery, someone who has lost a loved one, or someone who currently has a loved one struggling. If you don't want to say anything to them, please at least remember that this person is fighting for you. They are your voice if you feel like you don't have one. They are your voice when you feel like you can't speak up. 

If you would like to get involved in this week, it's not too late. To Write Love on Her Arms is still taking donations and they have wonderful things for sale in their online store. There are also plenty of other suicide prevention organizations that are also taking donations, as well as offering other ways to become involved in this week's movement. If you have a loved one struggling, please reach out to them on this day. Please continue to reach out to them even after this week is over. Encourage them and let them know that you are fighting for them. If you are that loved one struggling on this day, please remember that this day is for you. This day is made to fight for you. There are people out there fighting for you, even if you do not know them. I am fighting for you, and I will never stop. Please keep living so that you can see tomorrow and experience how wonderful this life really can be. Things get better. They get so much better, please just hang in there to see that. You are so loved. 

If you or someone you know needs support right now, call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, or text START to 741-741

Image credit: Unsplash