Mental Health has been a hot topic recently as it deserves our utmost attention. Learning to take care of yourself not only physically, but mentally and emotionally is one of the most vital things you will ever come across in life. My dad would always tell me “If you don’t have health, you don’t have your full self.” As I’ve become older with more experience, I have come to understand exactly what he was talking about. Health is not necessarily just about whether or not you have a sore throat. Most often, it has to do with the inner workings of your mind. The mind is the most powerful part of your body, and it has the ability to destroy you as well. Recently there have been many campaigns, GoFundMe fundraisers, and even commercials dedicated to bringing awareness to mental health and how lack of treatment can lead to suicide. However, all the money and advocating in the world cannot help someone as much as a single conversation can.
Suicide is one of those topics that no one enjoys talking about, mostly because it is stigmatized by our society. When someone takes their own life, the public generally comments of “how much of a coward they are,” or how whatever was going on in their life could not have been that horrific. I am here to tell you that you do not know what is going on in any person’s life. No matter how great one’s life may appear from the outside, the inside is what carries the truth. However, not knowing what’s goes on behind their facade is what makes preventing suicide so complex. How are you supposed to help someone when you don’t know they need help? How come people who look so happy on the outside may be battling demons so heavy that no one knows about? These are the questions I ask myself as I watch people from my own hometown and across the globe end their lives.
Within the last few months I heard the news three times that someone had killed themselves in my loving town of Pennsylvania. THREE TIMES that children between the ages of 14 and 19 were struggling so much that they felt their only option was to no longer exist. I keep wondering that if one person positively influenced their life that day, would they have felt any different? No one will ever be able to answer that question, but it does make you realize how a small impact can drastically improve someone’s mindset. Getting inside of someone’s brain is almost an impossible task, yet fueling people’s insides with positive energy and love is the first step to combat that.
Talking about suicide does not have to be a dismal topic. The more we speak about prevention and being okay with not being okay, the more chances we have of saving someone’s life. Expressing your feelings about suicide does not need to be something you are afraid to speak on. In fact, talking openly with friends or family can lower fatality rates. When you look at someone on the street or in one of your classes, consider the internal struggles they could be dealing with. You never know what goes on in their life or the demons they constantly face. As simple and obvious at is seems, kind words can go a long way. Being a kind individual can help strangers. If you are ever feeling mentally unstable, please reach out and do talk to people. Always remember: if you do not have your health, you don’t have your true full self. In order to hold onto who you truly are, work on your mental health as much as possible. Lastly, it does not hurt to help someone in need, because you never know who is in need of kind words.