Raising Awareness: Suicide

It’s something that is only talked about in hushed whispers. A cry for help we all promise to

answer but we choose time and time again to ignore it. After the pain has faded we go on with

our normal lives as if nothing ever happened. Suicide is something too serious to be ignored.

We live in a state that’s leading cause of death in teenagers is no longer automobile

accidents, but it is suicide according to Standard Examiner. The reason we are not hearing about

this anywhere is because society is too worried about their image and the guilt society as a whole

faces is too much to handle from something such as this. We are focusing only on things that

please us and help us to live our lives freely without a care in the world. The problems are

brushed under the rug while everyone walks all over them as if they do not exist.

This ignorance present in society is our problem. The University of Texas Psychiatric Institute

stated that seventy-five percent of individuals who die by suicide are going through depression.

Instead of looking out for our fellow man we end up ignoring them because we believe that if

something is not directly impacting our lives it simply is not important. Unfortunately, rejection

has been proven to directly lead to depression according to relationship counselor Greg Baker.

When this realization hits and society wonders what it could have done to make things better,

everyone then begins to go through a stage of guilt and instead of overcoming it and helping

others, the issue is just avoided altogether.

While this is a very sensitive topic, it is not a topic we can pretend does not exist. It is not

something we can simply avoid because we don’t feel good talking about it. Although we may

not understand what it is someone is going through, that does not mean it is not incredibly hard

on them. We are all different and that is something that makes humans human. Our ability to

accept these differences and to journey through hardships together is what makes humans

incredible.

Of course we don’t always understand each other’s problems. In fact, most of the time we do

not have the ability to understand. However, we always have the ability to accept each other and

to help each other. Something as simple as listening to someone else might mean the difference

between life and death for that person. We must never take the risk by choosing to ignore them

and instead we must always go out of our way to help each other out.

For those of you who may have struggled with thoughts of suicide or may have been

contemplating it, there is help out there. Life gets better. Right now it may seem like a living hell

and that you don’t matter, but you do matter. There are many ways in which you can get help.

The Suicide Hotline is open 24/7 and the number is 1-(800)-273-8255. The counselors here at

Bingham are always willing to listen and to help you. Don’t give up.