Oftentimes, I find myself feeling nostalgic and looking at the past in a positive light. For me, my childhood experiences were so good and I would do anything to relive that. Not only do I wish to relive it, but I look back on those times daily. Life was so innocent and I never thought anything could go wrong. I thought my family was a perfect family and nothing was wrong with anyone. I mean I was only 10, what did I know?

I have grown up in a loving, Christian household and my parents and siblings were always there for me. I had good friends, good grades, and a good life so there was never anything for me to be sad about. Why is it that everything flipped?

When I was 10, I found out an extended family member of mine tried taking their life through an overdose. When I heard the news, I was so shocked. I never understood how they could potentially be so selfish and take their own life here on Earth, leaving their loved ones in agonizing pain. The guilt every single one of my family members would have felt if they did happen to be successful would take an everlasting toll on each of our lives. We simply would not be able to get over it. 

This changed my whole trajectory on how I thought about things. Life was no longer only happiness for me, but instead it created a lasting fear/worry. This certain experience has caused me to constantly worry about the wellbeing of others. It often consumes my thoughts and distracts me from doing daily activities. Almost losing a family member really opened my eyes to the harsh reality of the world. Suicide and mental health really does matter. 

In 2022, there were just under 50,000 deaths by suicide. That is about 137 suicides per day. This statistic should open your eyes to unfortunately, how common this is. A family member of mine struggled with these thoughts. My brother’s friend was successful in committing. It’s a lot more common than you probably would think and it is the unfortunate harsh reality of this world. 

There’s so many factors going into someone committing suicide. In my eyes, that is the last resort and there is always a lead up to this. Whether that is depression, anxiety, or substance problems, there is always a factor that goes into someone wanting to end their life. They unfortunately feel like they are way past the point of help, but truthfully, someone is ALWAYS willing to help. If your life’s on the line I can guarantee that people will want to help and make you feel loved.