The Ultimate Loss

Forever Missed But Never Forgotten:

It's a situation no one ever wishes to find themselves in. The heartbreak and grief that comes, but never goes away. We learn to cope with the pain and move forward as best as we can. Every 11 minutes a person takes their own life. The first thoughts that usually go through a person's mind is, "How did I miss it?" The difficult answer is, we usually don't. Those who struggle learn to hide behind the feelings they truly feel. In fear that people will judge them or not believe them. Family and friends may feel sorrow, guilt, and anger. There is one common statement I hear constantly regarding those who complete suicide. "What a selfish decision, all they did was transfer the pain onto us." As much as this may seem to be the case, we have to remember that these people felt they couldn't see another way out. A person suffering constantly from these thoughts can only continue on for so long. When they attempt to reach out for help, their pleas for help are usually returned with criticism. This only makes a person more secluded and less likely to reach out for help. Too many people are affected by this tragedy every year. In 2021 alone, 48,183 people completed suicide. Last year, the United States saw an all-time high in suicide rates. We have to be more open about mental health and raise awareness for those who may be suffering in silence. Many people don't know what signs to look for when it comes to someone struggling. These may include substance abuse and self-harm. However, people are quick to judge these situations, instead of understanding the reasoning behind them. Other signs to consider looking out for include: giving valuables away, cutting off contact with close family/friends, joking about death, engaging in dangerous and risky activities, eating or sleeping more, etc. We must learn to come together as a community to help those struggling and provide a safe space for them to open up and accept help. However, there are still those who find themselves in the most tragic of situations. The families that have lost children, parents, and friends to this epidemic struggle to get through every single day. Some days are harder than others. Remembering these loved ones through raising awareness for suicide prevention. This story hits close to home for me personally, in more ways than one. I struggled with mental illness for the majority of my life. I've been in these dark places and felt there was no way out. Many of the people I attempted to reach out to closed me out or ignored my thoughts. I felt lost and didn't know what to do. Finally, one night I decided to give it one more shot when I had officially reached rock bottom. The least likely person you would think of... my manager. She immediately got me in touch with the crisis hotline through my work. The rest is history from there. Not only did I suffer from this personally, but witnessed it from a close friend. Sadly, we were too late to reach out to her to help her get the care she so desperately needed. She reached out to a few of us who were close to her with words or emojis. It was very random and out of the blue. It was what ultimately triggered a response for action. She had dealt with many health conditions and felt secluded by those she worked with. She has always left a big hole in many of our hearts. To this day many of us are deeply affected by her loss. I am here to provide outreach and support to anyone who may be going through this or know of someone who is struggling. If you feel that someone may be struggling, please reach out to the crisis hotline for more information. Every year, thousands of Americans suffer the loss of a close friend or family member to this disease. We must tell their stories and increase awareness to help save other's lives. We can help curb this epidemic by spreading awareness through those we have lost but have never forgotten.

IN HONOR OF THOSE FOREVER GONE BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN

Suicide & Crisis Hotline: 988

Safe2Tell: 1-877-542-SAFE