It’s Never Too Late To Speak Up About Suicide

I could paste numerous statistics, mention hundreds of studies and research papers to reveal various things about depression and suicide but this is not one of those articles. It was 3 in the afternoon when the news of another successful “star” committing suicide reached my ears via the word of mouth. By 3:15 PM it was confirmed by media outlets and 4 PM when ‘confidential’ pictures of his sad demise went viral for a quick scoop. Maybe we went wrong somewhere in understanding each other, understanding what it means to be in pain and what it means to consider suicide as a solution.

1- Suicide Is Never The Solution:-

It may feel like the only way out. The only option left to put an end to the chronic pain, to be able to feel nothing, but it’s NOT. You won’t be putting an end to your pain but putting an end to the possibility of a better life. It causes a ripple effect of pain, not just for you, for your family, your friends, neighbours, interrogation with the police, and most importantly, your loved ones blaming themselves.

Look, there are times when we feel that there is no one to help you, no one to hear you out! No one in your life matters to you, and your existence doesn’t matter to them, but guess what?

2- You Are Never Alone:-

You may be sitting all by yourself right now, or with your entire family and still feel lonely. You must understand that at times, you will be lonely but you will never be alone. You have your family who loves you unconditionally, and your friends are just a text, or a phone call away.

If for whatever reasons they do not pick up, there are so many volunteer organizations ready to hear you out and help you!

And most importantly you have yourself. Look at yourself, look back to your success stories, visualize the days when you made your family proud, days when you experienced life to its fullest, the days that made you feel you are the king/queen and anything was possible! Go back to a day, a memory that brings you joy and comfort and replays it in your head over and over again.

“You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop.” – Rumi

3- Life Is Beautiful:-

Don’t give up. You may feel like the tunnel is unending and the light at the end of it is out of reach but trust me, it’s not. Imagine you are a kid, and you are learning to walk, are you successful the first time? the second? the tenth? never. After 3 months of crawling, 6 months of moving around using limbs and hands. Almost 1 year of falling down constantly, you learn how to walk.

The beauty of life is experiencing what it has to offer as challenges and being there 100% to experience it. This solves half of the problem. Get up every time you fall, you have to! That’s just the part of it. Take your time, but get up. Don’t give up!

Remember, this too shall pass, it has to, just keep reminding yourself that suicide is never an option!

4- You Have A Purpose:-

The smallest of plants spend its lifetime growing in the direction of light and that’s its purpose. Even an ant has a purpose. Every creature part of the ecosystem is there for a reason and the same way you do too. If even one is removed from the ecosystem, the whole system collapses. The same goes for you. If you are here, you have a purpose! You are here to bring happiness, joy, and love to people. Remember if you are alive, you have a purpose.

Maybe you know that there are people who love you and you love them dearly as well, but deep down you feel like it isn’t enough, the empty void in you isn’t filling up, your days go by in a blur and you feel like you’ve got no purpose to get out of bed in the morning or don’t have anything to look forward to at the end of the day, remember, as long as you have yourself, you have a purpose.

“Place your hand over your heart, can you feel it? That is called purpose. You’re alive for a reason so don’t ever give up.” – Unknown

5- At The Risk of Reiteration!:-

You are never alone – If you feel like you can’t talk to your family and friends, then there are so many people you could talk to that you’ve never met. You could find a friend in a stranger and they could find a friend in you. Give yourself a chance because you matter.  Log onto sites like https://nowandme.com/ to get in touch with someone who understands you without having to explain yourself. Confide in them and don’t hold back.

Going back to depression, it is an illness that plagues thousands today. An evil that prevails in the hushed whispers of closed minds and misinformed feet that kick it under the carpet. Unfortunately, we live in times where many believe if we say the word ‘depression’ out loud, we might speak it into existence. Social stigma and societal norms that refuse to evolve with time have been the greatest hurdles to overcome in this fight against spreading awareness about mental health.

If you are having suicidal thoughts:

Speak up!

Reach out to a friend. If you feel you’re being judged or misunderstood, please seek professional help. There are several NGOs that help out those suffering from depression and other mental illnesses, and most of them don’t even charge a fee.

If you aren’t comfortable talking to someone in person then here are a few helpline numbers:

• 022 2754 6669- AASRA
• 0832-2252525- COOJ Mental Health Foundation

We have lost too many amazing people to this illness. We have misunderstood at times and other times not even bothered to. We must learn from our mistakes and ingrain it in our minds that suicide is not a coward’s way out, neither is it a spontaneous decision. There are signs that we often neglect and truthfully, are unaware of, behind a facade put up by a friend, parent, colleague out of shame and fear of being misunderstood. We must let them know it is okay and it is never too late to speak up.