Triggering (Suicide): Suicide Awareness and Prevention

[LittleFish]

Today, I've made two huge decisions. Number one: I am never committing suicide, and I'm going to stop cutting. Number two: I want to help increase suicide awareness.

My county does this program called Every 15 Minutes to help students realize the dangers involved with drinking and driving. They stage a mock crash in the parking lot, and then every 15 minutes, they pull students out of classrooms to statistically represent how often people die in alcohol-related car accidents. That's what they did yesterday.

Today, the students who participated read letters that they had written to their parents, pretending that they had died in a drunk driving crash but had a chance to write to their parents before they died. The parents also wrote letters saying goodbye to their children. I thought it was going to be a cheesy and fake thing. But it hit a nerve. Seeing those parents up there, crying and talking about how much they love their children and can't believe they'll never be able to hold them again. It made me realize what a huge impact it would have on my friends and family if I killed myself. I can't do that to them, no matter how much pain I'm experiencing. I'll find another way to deal with it, because after watching those parents, friends, and siblings cry (over a simulation, no less), I can't bring myself to do something so devastating to the people I love. And so I've decided that no matter what, I'm not going to kill myself.

I've also decided that I want to help increase suicide awareness. Suicide is such a taboo subject, and it seems everyone's just kind of kicking it under the rug because it's too deep and heavy. But that's the thing. It's an issue that needs to be addressed. And I think if more people understood suicide and the ignorance associated with suicide were at least diminished, then maybe it would happen less often. The assembly today made a huge impact on me. And I think if something like this made a difference for me, it could make a difference for someone else, too. So I'm going to write a letter to some of the school board members. I'm going to try and find a sponsor. Because let's face it: suicide is a heavy subject, and it is scary, but finding new ways to prevent it would be more than worth it to save someone's life. I know it isn't going to be easy, and I know people will probably be apprehensive and uncertain at first. But people need to realize that you can't run away from what you're afraid of, and it's time that they stopped keeping teens and children in the dark about suicide. Someone needs to turn on the light and open their eyes. Maybe I won't be the one to open their eyes, but I'm not giving up until the lights are on.

[MegaMadness]

That's great!

[Loving Linux Penguin]

That's so great that you've set these goals. It's true--suicide is a taboo topic. And the truth is it's so normal nowadays that there IS no reason to be uncomfortable about talking about it. It's just a completely normal and natural human issue, as is sex. And the very taboo is definitely part of the problem--when people are suicidal they are super uncomfortable talking about it usually, if that discomfort was minimized or eliminated somehow, it could make a BIG difference.

I'd say have some program where people who've been suicidal before talk, doctors talk, parents who have lost their kids talk, show a powerpoint, etc. Just my two cents

[~Mr. Self Destruct~]

The fact that you've set these goals and decided to leave that misery behind, learn from it and attempt to help others with it is absolutely fantastic.
Great job on becoming a great person.

[Imagine]

That is so amazing!!

[LittleFish]

Thanks, guys. I'm so excited about this, and I really hope that I can make a difference or at least start something. I never thought I'd find something that I'd be really passionate about like this, but now I think I've found not only a motivation to help but a powerful reason to live.

[Kitty.]

This is so wonderful!