I cannot say that suicide has directly affected me, but only indirectly. It has touched my life and has left an impact on me that will never go away. While myself has never seen suicide, I have had a very good friend that has an intimate encounter with it. It is my experience that people brush it off or tend not to talk about it because it seems like the big elephant in the room. In our society, the conversation of suicide or mental health makes people uncomfortable because it’s outside the norm; it is not something all people can relate too. I think that is something that needs to change though. There needs to be a difference in how mental health and suicide are dealt with. If anyone is having any doubts or questions, they should feel that they have a safe outlet that they can turn to for help. There should always, ALWAYS, be options for a person. And for those of you who are faced with trying to help a friend or loved one with a problem, the best advice I can give is to listen. Listen to them and love them as much as you can. Urge them to seek out personal help. Do not ever under estimate the power of a warm smile and having someone to talk to. But if at all possible urge them to seek more in depth help.
- Kayla Stieber
- Kayla Stieber