Monday, September 10th
Seven Days of Refection for
National Suicide Prevention Awareness Week
Thoughts on Losing a Child to Suicide
Day TWO: No one chooses to be mentally ill. Why would anyone choose to suffer in silence? Why would anyone choose to have thoughts racing in their heads so fast that they cannot think clearly? Why would anyone choose to not have the ability to get out of bed in the morning and be a productive human being? Why would anyone choose to be so different from everyone else, when all they want to be is “normal”? Why would anyone choose to have an illness that embarrasses them and leads them to self-medication with drugs or alcohol? Why would anyone choose to think that the world would be better off without them? Why would anyone choose to have daily battles with their own thoughts to fight to stay alive each day? Kenny used to tell me that all he wanted was to be like everyone else: NORMAL. Mental illness is a biological brain-based illness brought on by some trigger. No one chooses it. We cannot just snap out of it. Telling someone to just snap out of mental illness, is like telling someone to just snap out of having cancer or heart disease. NO DIFFERENT. People who live with mental health disorders understand this. Our hope is to educate the rest of society to help increase understanding, empathy and kindness towards those who are struggling because their brains work differently. STEP UP! START THE CONVERSATION! SAVE A LIFE!
