This week, 9/9-9/15, is National Suicide Prevention Week. What exactly is this week about? It's about raising awareness, getting informed, and helping others. We need to join together and fight the stigmas that exist in the mental health community and encourage one another to lend a helping hand however we can. (See resources at the end of this post)
Two communities where I've personally sensed hesitation and stigma are the Christian and African-American communities. Not all Christians hold a stigma, but on campus, I've sensed hesitation from some of my fellow Christian friends when telling them about my involvement in TWLOHA and that they should stop by a meeting. Some of them have just kinda remained silent as I told them what it's about or respond with "oh" or something similar. It's frustrating because as Christians, we want to help others, right? Isn't it our duty to help others? And by "help" I do NOT mean convert people. I think that this stigma might stem from the view of suicide as a sin, therefore leaving some Christians unsure of how to feel or react to such news- some may feel sympathy, others may feel nothing because the person sinned. I want to see that change.
Also, suicide and depression are stigmas among the African-American community. For example, I noticed at the activity fair this year that the few black students who stopped at the TWLOHA table either knew one of the members at the table, was a current member (not many...), or stopped because they saw me there aka a fellow black child at a predominantly white institution. Once I informed them on what our group was about, I could see them lose interest in the group while still keeping on a smile and being friendly when they leave. I even had a friend years ago who said something on the lines of "they committed suicide? They needed help because they were obviously messed up in the mind." It was the same sound of disgust or disapproval of a pervert/molester pretty much. It wasn't that empathetic statement of a person needing to seek out help; it was the same stigmatizing statement that causes so many people not to reach out for help. Who can you turn to who won't make you feel like a "mental case" and just help you? It's really difficult to break these stigmas, but I'm trying.
This week has also brought me back to reflecting on some things. As some may know (if anyone who personally knows me even reads this blog...), I lost an acquaintance, a friend at the beginning of the last semester of my senior year of high school. Though it's been over two years now, I'm still not completely "over" his death. Pretty much my last month at home this summer, I thought about him every single day. It was weird because even though I always think about him from time to time, there was just this overpowering feeling in me that I couldn't and still can't explain. I planned to visit his grave before heading back to school, but procrastination and running out of time prevented me from making my visit. I'm still frustrated with my self for not going. Regardless, I always wonder what he'd be up to now if he were still here. It's nice looking back at old pictures on Facebook at Free Hug Days and seeing his smile. I still smile about the fact that I'm in his profile picture from one of our last free hug days with him. Mike, I just really miss you.
With all of that being said, never hesitate to reach out to someone. I'd rather someone reach out to me when I'm alright than not reach out at all when I may truly need someone. You never know what someone is going through, and you never know if they're silently screaming for help. Spread the love <3
For more info, check out these resources:
http://www.suicidology.org/about-aas/nspw
http://www.afsp.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.viewPage&page_ID=25FA2BE6-D681-4A19-43497FA63C212876
http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
http://www.twloha.com/
