Today is #NationalSuicidePreventionDay.
I participate in a lot of social media's hashtag-national-this-or-that-days. #NationalPizzaDay #NationalDonutDay #NationalHugYourCatDay?? I'm there, on Instagram, stuffing my face or clutching my cats (who are desperately trying to escape). But none are so important to me as this day. Because you can tell from my feed that I love food and I'm obsessed with my cats, but what you don't see, and may not know, is that I suffered from Anxiety and Depression in my twenties, so deep and dark that I didn't want to get out of bed. That's an understatement. There were days I did not want to live.
I wasn't on social media, then. I wonder if my 'presence' would have been any different. We all want people to see how much fun we're having, how incredible we look, and share the wonderful thing we saw or read or learned. There is nothing wrong with that. That is one of the great things about social media, the other is the ability to create awareness.
My point is that SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE can help, wants to help, will help. That person may not know you're hurting, eventhough it seems impossible to you that they couldn't. Think of all the times you hear about someone taking their own life, and thinking, "But they seemed fine..."
So, ASK. Ask for help. Call a friend, a family member or call a professional. GET HELP. You can feel better. No matter what your situation, you CAN feel better. And if you are someone who can help; do it. Offer a kind word, a hand, or a smile, and spread awareness.
The number for the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is: tel:+18002738255
I participate in a lot of social media's hashtag-national-this-or-that-days. #NationalPizzaDay #NationalDonutDay #NationalHugYourCatDay?? I'm there, on Instagram, stuffing my face or clutching my cats (who are desperately trying to escape). But none are so important to me as this day. Because you can tell from my feed that I love food and I'm obsessed with my cats, but what you don't see, and may not know, is that I suffered from Anxiety and Depression in my twenties, so deep and dark that I didn't want to get out of bed. That's an understatement. There were days I did not want to live.
I wasn't on social media, then. I wonder if my 'presence' would have been any different. We all want people to see how much fun we're having, how incredible we look, and share the wonderful thing we saw or read or learned. There is nothing wrong with that. That is one of the great things about social media, the other is the ability to create awareness.
My point is that SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE can help, wants to help, will help. That person may not know you're hurting, eventhough it seems impossible to you that they couldn't. Think of all the times you hear about someone taking their own life, and thinking, "But they seemed fine..."
So, ASK. Ask for help. Call a friend, a family member or call a professional. GET HELP. You can feel better. No matter what your situation, you CAN feel better. And if you are someone who can help; do it. Offer a kind word, a hand, or a smile, and spread awareness.
The number for the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is: tel:+18002738255