Suicide, Let’s Talk About It
Suicide is a topic that’s close to my heart. It’s a topic that many people don’t like to talk about, but it’s important that we do, suicide affects numerous families in our communities.
One of the scariest thing about suicide is that you don’t always know when someone is contemplating ending their life. They can stand before you one day all smiles and looking well put together and the very next day, they are no longer around, they have ended their life. Sometimes they have also taken the lives of a family member/s or co-worker/s along with their own life. Most of the time you will hear those who thought they knew that person report how they never thought that person would do such a thing.
Many people are being faced with a lot of weight from walking this life out. That weight can become overwhelming, which eventually can affect the mind. Because our minds cannot be seen with the naked eye it is not easily apparent what state of mind an individual is in. It’s impossible to know the deep thoughts of those around us, therefore understandable when we are taken by surprise when someone chooses suicide as a course of action.
It’s important to listen to an individual when they speak, to really hear them, it is only then we may detect any indication they maybe at a point of ending their life. You cannot go by the outward exterior. Many around us are experiencing emotional pain, but are very good at masking that pain.
There are countless individuals struggling in silence with the thought of ending their life. They are bombarded with such negative thoughts of feeling they are not good enough, that they fit into society, feeling unloved, and lonely. Some are disappointed with different aspects of their life, and are discouraged, which leads to hopelessness and eventually thoughts to exit this world, thinking this is the best solution, and the answer to their pain.
As someone who struggled in silence with suicide for many years, having those thoughts, and feelings listed above, living a life of hopelessness, I fully understand the overwhelming feeling that comes with wanting to end your life. Suffering with depression, and being placed on medication that only numbs you for a while was my then doctor’s solution at the time. It did not solve the problem that was taking place on the inside of me.
I felt completely hopeless, and had no real sense of direction of where my life was headed, or what my purpose was in this world . I saw the world as one large machine where everyone was functioning in it, but me. Thank God for what I call His Divine intervention in my life that came at the right time. It was my faith in God that brought hope into my life, which turned my life around. I am grateful for His Love, Grace, and Mercy.
I am not without having those moments or days when living in this world can bring fear, or discouragement, but I am now more equipped to hold on to hope, because without it, there would be no looking forward to a better brighter day.
It’s disturbing to hear about the epidemic of suicide running rampantly through our society, especially among our youth. I am heartbroken to read the stats which speaks of children as young as 5 years old ending up in emergency for wanting to commit the act of suicide. My heart hurts for our youth as they are surrounded by so many negativity in this life, this can only bring fear and discouragement, which threatens to lead them into a place of hopelessness.
Our world has become extremely noisy compared to the generations before us, that it drowns out and distracts us from those who are hurting, and suffering in silence. We have become disconnected from each other.
There are many factors that surrounds an individual as to why and how they fell into that dark place of wanting to end their life, but so too are the solutions as to how to bring that person out, into a place where they are living in hope, and have peace within. Thank God we are talking more about mental illness and wellness.
My prayer is that we as a society will get back to the place where we are being mindful of each other and more focused not only on our own needs and desires, but are in tune with those around us. That we will turn our eyes to see if that person on either side of us, or in front of us is doing good. That we will listen intently and attentively to each other and be ready to point someone in the right direction to get help if needed.
I believe we as a society need each other more now, than ever before. Let’s be messengers of hope to the hopeless. Living a life without hope is not living.
Are you listening ? It could save a life.
—Elaine