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Remember suicide awareness month, check in
To the Editor:
As we enter September I want to remind everyone that it is suicide awareness month. I know all eyes are on the election but do not forget this important month.
We cannot forget those we have lost and those who still struggle today. I am going to share a fact about myself. When I was 20 I tried to commit suicide. It was the hardest decision I have ever made.
I did not want to be here anymore. If you know what that feels like I am sorry. The point of my sharing this is not for people who feel this way but for the people who have never felt this way before. I am talking to you because my entire life I have been on some scale of suicidality.
Many people who have never had these thoughts think it is a selfish decision. That we are taking the easy way out. If you believe this your perception is out of whack. Telling a suicidal person that they are being selfish, that they have so much to live for and, they have so many people that love them is not helpful.
Do you know why? We already know that. We know that people we love will be upset and that we will miss out on so many things but none of that matters at that moment. The moment where you are in the haze of the thought. The moment when you choose to live or die.
When someone is thinking about suicide there may be signs, but on the other hand, most of the time there aren't any. For example, the day I tried to commit, I got up, went to both my college classes, I fed my cat, and I ate dinner with my friend.
After I got back to my dorm I couldn't stop thinking about how I just didn't want to feel anymore. There were no signs that I would choose that day. I didn't withdraw from my friends or family, I didn't give out gifts or give sudden proclamations of love. I simply went about my normal day, as if nothing were wrong.
I am here now, and I am telling you, check in with people you know. Ask them how they are feeling, not how they are doing, ask for a more than one-word answer. If someone tells you they are suicidal or something else concerning, believe them. Believe them and ask how you can help them. Don't immediately jump to the "you are being selfish" because nine out of 10 times it will upset them more, it will not change their mind. I implore you to be kind to these people. When people ask me what helped me move past these thoughts I never know how to respond.
I have my family and my friends and cat to thank as to why I am here today. I got through these thoughts and feelings with all their help as well as the help of the crisis line in Mifflin County, (717) 242-1870, and texting 988, the national suicide hotline number. Yes, you read that right, you can now text 988 if you don't want to call and talk to someone.
These people are here for everyone, so call or text them when you feel these pervasive emotions. I know that it feels like the end of the world but the counselors have talked me off a ledged before and they can for you too.
Lastly, if you have ever felt suicidal know that your people are out there and they are waving flashlights in the darkness and they are coming to help you.
Colleen Keller
Lewistown