Content Warning: This article discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal ideation, call, text, or chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988. Living with suicidal ideation is terrifying. I have experienced suicidal ideation numerous times over the years, and frequently have to battle these thoughts on a […]
“I didn’t know anyone else came out here. I thought Phillip was being forgotten.” Running into another person in a space I was starting to feel comfortable being alone in led me to confront feelings I had been having and not necessarily dealing with. At first, I was embarrassed to admit how often I visited […]
I used to wish that my first heartbreak was just that, a breakup story. But my first heartbreak was a heartache from loss. I was sixteen when I was impacted by suicide; at that point I had known and loved him for half of my life. I met Jeremy when I was eight. We were […]
The news spread like wildfire: there was a dead body on campus. For hours, students were scrambling for information. Who, how, when, why? Rumors were flying with misinformation and stories. The school was quick to email everyone with a vague description and a promise that as information came and was appropriate for the public, we […]
It is hard to remember a time before I understood the meaning of the word “suicide.” My mom Joanne, who works in the mental health field, made sure it was never a taboo subject in my household despite the deeply personal weight of the subject. Five years before I was born, my mom lost her […]
Yesterday my family and I, although miles apart in physical proximity, lit a candle in each of our respective homes for my brother who passed away 7 months ago. It just so happened to fall on World Suicide Prevention Day. The past seven months for me personally have been a whirlwind. After he passed away, […]
When I was six years old and my brother was four years old my mother told me how my uncle died. I was told he had a disease in his brain that made him act and feel differently. She told me he would be happy one day and sad the next, that he behaved in […]
In the middle of December in 2015 I lost my best friend to suicide. The holidays were instantly a dreadful thought to me. I’ve never really had a good family life, so I’ve always made sure my friends knew that I treated them like family, especially during this time of year. She was my kindest […]
Grey and red converse. Holey jeans. A grey Kings of Leon concert shirt. The concrete floor and walls closing in on me as I process snippets of the words pouring out of my cellphone. “Suicide…” “Shot…” “At home…” “Gathering tonight…” “Need to attend…” My chest tightened. My stomach churned. I fell to my knees, pulling […]