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Feels extremely on-brand that 3 AM Twitter has #suicide trending. You& #39;re my people, depressed night owls
Speaking as one who has struggled with the pull towards suicide all my life, you what I think helps? Just being able to talk about it without it being A Discussion. Not having people freak out knowing it. Accepting that it& #39;s there and part of who I am without trying to fix it
By all means, if you can work your way to the other side of it, that& #39;s great and please do so! But if wanting to die is just a dull hum in your everyday life, having to try to convince people not to worry or take well meaning suggestions is exhausting and more depressing.
So here& #39;s my friendly advice to people who know those who are struggling with suicide, or any other mental illness really: treating it like a four alarm fire from the outset makes people less likely to talk to you, not more. Make talking/not talking okay. Also -
Find out if the person has a plan, the means, and the intent to carry it out. If they do, that IS an emergency. But if it& #39;s something they& #39;re thinking or feeling without those things, they just may need to talk or know it& #39;s okay to feel like that sometimes. It sucks, but it is.
Sadness loses some of its power when it can be talked about openly and without judgment. And I do believe everybody has moments of wondering whether they& #39;d be better off dead. You can help just by being a friend, being respectful, and letting someone speak about it if they want
I wasn& #39;t exactly planning on contributing to the "you should do this!" conversation that happens every time the subject comes up but I do feel this often gets lost in the desire to save a life and the fear over what to do or not do.
I worked in mental health for almost ten years. Being calm helps calm others. Accepting that what they feel is okay helps others accept it& #39;s okay. And treating suicide like a normal problem with solutions helps suicidal people feel like it& #39;s a normal problem with a solution.
If you& #39;re out there dealing with ideation on a regular basis, I know I& #39;m just an internet rando but trust me, it& #39;s not weakness, cowardice, or you being broken. It& #39;s just a thing that is. Lots of people deal with it. You can make it through. Help is out there. Don& #39;t stop looking.
