Every morning I roll out of bed, throw on some leggings and an over-worn t-shirt, and board the shuttle to campus. Every morning I look out the bus window covered in fingerprints and dust, my head filled with thoughts of class assignments and weekend plans. Every morning my commute is exactly twelve minutes long.
From the time I get on the bus in the morning to when I get off, one person has died.
No, this is not a riddle; this is a statistic. According to the CDC, every twelve minutes, someone in the United States dies by suicide. With hundreds of people taking their own lives every day, the need to take action when it comes to suicide awareness and prevention is more critical than ever. This is exactly the mission the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) aims to carry out through their Out of the Darkness Community Walks.
A week ago, I had the opportunity to attend an Out of the Darkness Walk in Wilmington. People from all over gathered to support each other, raise awareness for suicide and, most importantly, share their stories. Before the walk officially began, members of the community participated in a bead ceremony, during which each person wore different colored Honor Beads to represent a personal loss to suicide or struggle with suicidal thoughts.
Orange beads signify the loss of a sibling to suicide; white signifies the loss of a child. Those who wore red beads had lost a spouse or partner, and those who wore green showed that they struggled personally with suicidal thoughts. Often times, it’s easy for topics like depression and suicide to be ignored because of the stigma surrounding them. Suicide is not fun to talk about; depression is not an easy subject to broach.
Watching ordinary people stand on a stage in front of strangers and bravely share their stories was, to say the least, inspiring. For me, it can be hard to truly understand the impact of suicide because I have never been affected by it. Seeing real people who had lost loved ones and who dealt with personal struggles was humbling, and it undoubtedly hit home for many people. Depression is not a faceless struggle, and organizations like AFSP are working daily to ensure that those affected by suicide are seen and heard.
Whether you have been impacted by suicide or know someone who has, you have the power to do something about it. Maybe there is an Out of the Darkness Walk in your community or an on-campus organization that raises awareness for mental health and suicide. Maybe you can encourage someone you know who struggles to seek professional help.
In the time it took me to write this article, another five people have died by suicide. Regardless of how you decide to help, you can make an impact and help reduce the stigma surrounding suicide.
What can you do in twelve minutes?
If you are personally struggling, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.