World Suicide Prevention Day

September 10th is world suicide prevention day. Over 1,100,000 people die from suicide every year worldwide. As a mental health advocate and writer, I made a promise to continue spreading my mental health journey to bring awareness. In 2020 I got my first tattoo of a semicolon from Project Semicolon which means-“A semicolon is used when an author could’ve chosen to end their sentence, but chose not to. The author is you, and the sentence is your life.” I’ve felt what these people felt. I understand what runs through the mind when a person literally hits rock bottom. I’ve survived a few attempts and when I was by myself screaming to God, “Why?” He made me open my Bible to show me the verse of Psalm 46:10 which reads: Be still and know that I am with you.🤍 it’s by this verse I live by everyday and I constantly have to remind myself to BE STILL.

To my family, friends, doctors, nurses, and to those who have been following my journey since the beginning-thank you for seeing a light in me that I couldn’t see for the longest time. If I learned anything in my healing journey that I can share with y’all, it’s this:

•how you respond to a situation matters
•if you want to change your bad habits, start by changing the system that flows into the results.
•deep breathing is important!
•self care is everything, so take care of yourself
•it’s OK to take off work if you desperately need a mental health day
•it’s okay to not be okay
•be kind to your mind (you can’t live a positive life with a negative mind)
•be patient with yourself you’re doing the best you can

God said, “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through fire, you will not get burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” (Isaiah 43:2)✝️

Please choose to stay because your life matters. Keep going because better days are ahead. If you or anyone you know is feeling suicidal, there is access to plenty of resources for help.

•National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: call/text to 988.

I’m praying for all of you who are struggling mentally. I promise there’s a light at the end of every dark tunnel. Remember: God gave the hardest battles to his strongest soldiers. Besides that, go LSU! #WorldSuicidePreventionDay #breakthestigma #mentalhealthmatters #Suicide

If you feel that life is unimportant and that your existence is worthless, please do not hesitate to reach out for help. I can understand you and I strongly believe that your presence is important. You are not alone.
#WorldSuicidePreventionDay

Despite the Pandemic, stressors, and other situations that cause anxiety and frustrating that bounce off my mental illnesses, I found myself wondering if I am happy with my life. It feels like there is so much happening that I am unsure if I am happy or if I’m going through the motions just because “you’re supposed to,”

There is just so much noise that blocks the thought of “Am I happy?” I honestly don’t think I am, however I am not buried in the darkest of times without the tools to get help when I need it most.

I know that I go to very dark places with or without the consent of my brain. I do know that I am equipped with a much better, user-friendly tool box that I can share with my loved ones who support me. I do know that I try my best to voice when I feel like I’m drifting off. No one is perfect, but I continue to learn.

Before my formal diagnosis and treatment, I thought I had life under control somehow. I had one of the scariest nights that didn’t include psychotic features. I remember my parents driving 4.5 hours, somehow speaking calmly to help me stay calm. My sister helped, as well, but I omitted details at the time so she wouldn’t be scared; I always wanted to be the role model big sister so I was too scared to ruin the image. I had a few friends comforting me,

I am beyond lucky. They all, before equipping their took bags, calmly helped ground me. They didn’t make me feel guilty or bad because of my situation. I am more than grateful.

This was probably a little disorganized. The point that I wanted to say is even though day to day life can seem to be boring, lonely and I may not be happy, is that I have a superhuman toolbox that is worth the galaxy.

I am a survivor, I continue to work on my mental health. I continue to work to learn from others’ perspectives .

My family are survivors, they continue to love and support one another without judgement, They are the reason I was able to survive and continue to thrive.

So suicide prevention thoughts? Get yourself a hefty toolbox for life. Mix it up with family, friends, soul mates, music, long drives, learn to enjoy silence, coping skills, a sweet treat, and a cute journal with gel pens, for science. Empathy is for lovers. Take care of yourself. Talk about your story. As survivors, it is great to share a moment for those in need.

There are many prevention methods, please explore them, share with your toolbox, and be safe and well.

My door is always open, #grateful #WorldSuicidePreventionDay #Bipolar1Disorder #Support #Survivor