It’s the final day of September.
We’ve been focusing on National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. I almost skipped on to a new topic this week, but I think I’ll share a closing thought as we think about suicide prevention.
Stay.
I know life is painful sometimes. It can be frustrating and scary and uncertain.
People often try to convince someone not to take their own life by saying, “Stay for those who love you.” I know they mean well, but that just heaps more guilt on someone who is hurting and has gotten so sick that they can’t see another way out.
I want to encourage you to stay for yourself.
Depression is a highly treatable illness. Even if you can’t feel hope right now, if you hang on and get help you will eventually feel better.
For me, I want to stay because I don’t want to miss out on all of the good things in life.
Sunrises and sunsets.
Mountains and oceans.
A long hike in the woods.
Hauntingly beautiful musicals.
Flocks of birds soaring overhead.
Laughter and tears shared with the ones I love.
The list could go on and on and on. When I focus on those things, it makes it easier to hold on through the hard times.
It might help to hear the stories of people who thought they wanted to die but changed their minds immediately after attempting to die by suicide.
Kevin Hines jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. He felt instant regret as he fell. Miraculously, he survived the fall and went on to become a writer and speaker. You can find lots of info and videos online, and check out his book Cracked, Not Broken: Surviving and Thriving After a Suicide Attempt.
Kristen Jane Anderson wrote Life, In Spite of Me: Extraordinary Hope After a Fatal Choice (with Tricia Goyer) after she attempted to die by suicide by lying down on a set of train tracks. She lost her legs, but she inspires so many people with her story.
The month of September is over, but the need to prevent suicide will continue. Check in on your friends and family, reach out to others if you’re struggling (you can always call or text to 988), and never give up hope.
Stay.
“Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand—when I awake, I am still with you.” (Psalm 139:16–18 NIV)
What are the good things in life that help you decide to stay? How can focusing on God help you never give up hope?