September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
* * * Trigger Warning * * *
This post contains material on the subjects of suicide, suicidal ideation and self-harm. If any of these subjects may be a trigger for you, please close this page. The purpose is to bring attention to Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.
My dear readers,
Suicide is a subject that invokes a lot of emotions in me. Living with mental illness, I have dealt with suicidal ideation for as long as I can remember. Sadly, I’ve also lost more than a dozen friends to this dark evil.
The pain suicide causes to the families and friends who are left behind is one that never goes away. For this reason, I wanted to dedicate an entire post to Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.
Suicide is the reason I started the blog Speaking Bipolar. It was after yet another friend took his own life that I realized by sharing my experiences with mental illness, I could help someone else. I hope to never lose anyone that way again.
Thoughts of harming yourself or ending it all are never healthy. I’ve been close too many times to that final action, and am so thankful that I’m still here to tell you about it.
For me, a no-suicide contract helped me through some of my darkest days. There were other days, though, where nothing could touch me. I felt like a helpless victim watching some horror play out before me.
If you or a loved one or dealing with thoughts of suicide, please seek professional help immediately. Listed below are some websites and phone numbers you can contact with trained support staff. Making a call lor starting a chat can be the thing that keeps you alive.
Hurting yourself is never the answer. Life may be dark today, but there will be light again. I believe that with every fiber of my being. If I’m still here fighting, and I’m a nobody, then you definitely have it in you to keep fighting.
The National Alliance on Mental Health has several resources for anyone suffering or for friend and family support. The items include:
- Know the Warning Signs and Risk Factors of Suicide
- Being Prepared for a Crisis
- Navigating a Mental Health Crisis
Again, if you or a loved one are feeling any thoughts of self-harm, please seek help immediately. Better days can come if you don’t give up.
Keep fighting,
Scott
Start Today!
Resources for Suicide Prevention
United States:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Telephone: 1-800-273-8255
Chat option available
Canada:
Telephone: 1.833.456.4566 – Available 24/7
Text: 45645 – Available Daily 4pm-12am ET
Chat option available
Crisis Text Line – 24/7 nationwide crisis-intervention text-message hotline created in partnership with Kids Help Phone.
Text: HOME to 686868 in Canada to text with a trained Crisis Responder.
United Kingdom:
Samaritans – 24/7, toll-free crisis line, as well as local branches.
Telephone: 116 123
Campaign Against Living Miserably – It has a limited-hour phone and webchat options every day from 5 PM to midnight.
Telephone: 0800 58 58 58
Other Countries:
List of suicide crisis lines for other lands
Please forgive me if I have not listed your country. Your life is valuable. Do an internet search for “suicide hotline” in your country to find a local number or chat option.
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