IN HONOR OF MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH 2024 COLLECTION

Suicide: The Monster We Dismiss, The Lives We Lose

“When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on for so long in the first place.” — Anonymous

Photo by Sasha Freemind on Unsplash

The Silent Struggle

It’s been sometime now that I’ve been open and honest with close friends and family about my struggles with suicide. Before, I would only share my suicidal thoughts when I was in a tough situation, crying on the phone or in front of someone. I wasn’t sharing it on purpose and was, in fact, embarrassed by it.

Confiding in Others

Throughout my life, I’ve confided in ex-boyfriends about my struggles. One of them was compassionate, while another called me weak, saying that my life would be hard and that being suicidal indicated that I was a “weak person.”

A butter knife, designed with a blend of semi-abstract and artistic elements while maintaining recognizable features (Photo by ChatGPT/Dall-E/Author)

The Butter Knife Incident

I first expressed my desire to end my life when I was 13 years old.