When Suicide Changes Everything

Suicide is probably one of the hardest things to talk about, especially openly. But it takes

up a weird place in our society because everyone knows it happens, but conversations about it

are so taboo. For some, these are just statistics or sad stories, but for others, it is simply a part

of their own story.

When suicide touches your life, even in a way where you feel like it shouldn’t affect you,

it changes what you think about mental health, suffering, and life itself. Suicide stops being an

abstract concept; it becomes a harsh reality about the futility of life and what that means.

Emotional pain simply reaches levels that are impossible to see on the outside and difficult to

put into words. This is made worse by the fact that people struggling with suicidal ideation often

appear completely normal to their loved ones. They go to school, work, laugh with friends, and

carry on with responsibilities. But on the inside, they may be reeling with pain so deep it feels

like it's crushing their bones.

Dealing with suicide in terms of losing people in my life because of it changed the way I

saw people and mental health, and completely changed the way I thought about stability in life.

It made me realize that we often have no idea what someone else is carrying internally because

the people I knew were doing fantastic…At least I thought…we had made plans for the Friday it

happened.

This is why open conversations about it are essential. Talking about something that

touches lives inside and out in this way cannot be thought of as a weakness. It is a strength

because you can’t talk about something really hard without being courageous. Therapy exists

so that people can sit with professionals who can simply sit in their cave of despair with them for

however long it takes, even though it's incredibly uncomfortable. Talking about it also creates

connection, support, understanding, and if that connection occurs through seeking professional

help, maybe it’ll mean more plans made on Friday…so if there is one lesson I carry with me, it is

that we truly don’t know what’s happening with someone and reaching out and offering help and

reinforcing connection is just so important.