Nobody pays much attention to days like today. Unless you have experienced a loss to suicide. Such a loss changes you, shifts your path in life, alters your reality. It leaves us perpetually wondering what could have been done differently. What can one person do to promote awareness of mental health issues? How do we reduce the stigma so that those suffering can reach out for help? How do we find ways to connect to those who have experienced a loss?
If only I had all the answers. It's a tough subject. It's hard to own. My guess is many of us have experience with loss by suicide. If not firsthand, then you know of someone who has. What if though, we talked about it openly? What if we acknowledged the date, or even the month of the loss? What if we didn't talk about survivors but talked to them. Awkward?? Uh huh. Sure is. What if instead of saying you are always so strong people understood those grieving don't have a choice. We didn't ask for this, we sure as heck don't want to be here. We may be tenacious, we may be lifted by our faith, we may be relentless in finding new meaning in life. But we don't feel strong, nor does that phrase give comfort.
What we are is broken and finding our footing day in and day out. We are always aware of the events that unfolded. We are not invisible, though it often feels like it. The further out we get doesn't necessarily make it better, just different. Even we find it hard to talk about. So, I totally get why others struggle with it too.
So, I challenge myself, and I challenge you to find the words to talk about mental health and suicide. To know that it's okay to not be okay. That pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional. To know that we all need help to get through life. Help comes in many forms and bears no shame. Ask for help, offer help. Say the hard words. Are you okay, how can I help, tell me more.
No comments:
Post a Comment