September is Suicide Prevention Month - What's the Big Deal?

Suicidal thoughts, much like mental health conditions, can affect anyone regardless of age, gender or background. In fact, suicide is often the result of an untreated mental health condition. Suicidal thoughts, although common, should not be considered normal and often indicate more serious issues.

September is Suicide Prevention Month — a time to raise awareness and discuss this highly stigmatized topic. In addition to shifting public perception, we use this month to spread hope and vital information to people affected by suicide. Our goal is ensuring that individuals, friends and families have access to the resources they need to discuss suicide prevention and to seek help.

Image and above two paragraphs courtesy of https://www.nami.org/Get-Involved/Awareness-Events/Suicide-Prevention-Month

I have never posted such a long, vulnerable, personal, important post before. PLEASE READ the whole post. PLEASE.

YOU know someone who isn’t OK. YOU probably know someone who is so hopelessly not OK, that they’re contemplating, or even planning to end their lives.

PLEASE believe me, look around, pay attention, and yes… stick your nose in even when and where common sense may tell you that it doesn’t belong.

Someone just may live to see another day, if you do.

What I’m sharing with you below, is a REAL Facebook messenger conversation that I had with a person, after seeing a Facebook post where they said goodbye, that they were going to end their life.

FYI… this is the FOURTH person/time that I have had this same experience and type of conversation.

I’ve used the word Person everywhere that I originally used their name.

I share this with you, not because I want a pat on the back, but because you may need a kick in the pants! Someone’s life may depend upon it!

May 14, 2023, 4:58 AM

Me:

Hi Person. Brother, I'm sorry to read how bad life has gotten for you. I wish I could help you. You're very brave for putting it all out there, like you have. I don't have any great advice or answers for you. I just want to let you know that I care about you, and I will be praying for you. Also, I imagine that you have no shortage of real ones to talk to, but know that I'd be very happy to talk with you now or any time.

Person, please don't choose a permanent solution to a temporary problem.

Hang in there. You matter.

Love you, brother.

Be well.

Aaron Richman 508.xxx.xxx 5

May 14, 2023, 5:03 AM

Person:

These are permanent problems

I can't deal

May 14, 2023, 5:39 AM

Me:

Please call 988, now. I know it's a big ask. Being as open as you have been tells me that you really are courageous.

Don't give in. Don't give up. There truly is hope for a better day.

I believe in you, Person.

Please call 988, now.

May 14, 2023, 5:44 AM

Me:

Dialed Audio Call (not answered)

May 14, 2023, 5:45 AM

Me:

Did you call 988? Will you, please?

If not, call me.

May 14, 2023, 5:46 AM

Person:

I'm okay man as far as somebody who doesn't know he's not going to help anything but I appreciate your concern I don't really know you that well but thank you for being a good human being

May 14, 2023, 5:53 AM

Me:

There are many more good human beings, yourself included, then there are scoundrels who break our hearts and mess up our lives.

You've had some incredible highs and some unimaginable lows. There are surely more of both to come if you stick around. Please stick around. This pain, once you're on the other side of it, will enable you to help others who have lost hope. Please believe me. I've seen it more than once.

May 14, 2023, 6:03 AM

Me:

Person, give it one more day.

Are you safe right now?

Can I call someone to come and help you? Being alone with our demons is always bad.

Let me help you.

Have you called 988 yet? Please call them, or call me.

May 14, 2023, 6:04 AM

Person:

Buddy you don't even know me I understand you want to help me to make yourself feel better you're already a kind good person but you can't at all understand where I'm coming from and the angle will have life up lived especially you don't know me and I haven't known you then all over the world to over 35 countries I appreciate your kindness but it will not have the effect on me you hope

May 14, 2023, 6:13 AM

Me:

So, I want you to live. Has nothing to do with me feeling better. My day and life will go on, whether yours does or doesn't. You're right that we don't really know each other.

However, I do have a deep, abiding love for God. I have a relationship of love and gratitude with Jesus.

I don't believe in coincidences. I should be asleep, not reading your last ditch, desperate cry for help.

Yet, here we are. God has allowed me to be awake, to read of your pain, and to reach out to you because God loves you, and He wants you to stick around.

I'm just the messenger, my friend.

Stick around, please.

Don't miss out on the miracles.

Love you, brother.

May 14, 2023, 6:18 AM

Person:

Thank you

I really do appreciate you and I'm sorry if I was an asxxxle

I'm really hurting inside and I don't feel like anybody could understand

I don't talk about the depth of it because it goes back so many years and so many things that people don't know about

May 14, 2023, 6:19 AM

Person:

I'm tired of feeling like I'm drowning constantly but I actually just don't drown constant panic and fear and worthlessness

May 14, 2023, 6:30 AM

Me:

Person, God understands. You're right for believing that no other human could possibly grasp the depth of your pain from your many years with “other person”, the betrayals, the failures, the imposter syndrome, feelings of inadequacy, etc.

Many of us can understand pieces of your pain and struggles. None of us can understand it all.

Only God, who created you, fully understands your pain. He loves more than I do, more than anyone else could.

Please give Him a chance. You know I'm in FL, and "should" seriously be sound asleep, not talking with you.

I serve an amazing, all-powerful, loving God who instead made sure I'd be awake to share His love with you.

Please respond to Him, not to me.

I love you because He loves you and me both.

Give Him a chance to show you what He really has in store for you. The miracles. The healing. The love. The others that He will use you to help, for Him.

I'm praying for you, Person.

I'll pray with you if you'd like.

You DO matter.

May 14, 2023, 6:33 AM

Me:

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Psalms 34:18 NIV

May 14, 2023, 6:48 AM

Person:

That's what I used to think

May 14, 2023, 6:58 AM

Me:

You were right for thinking it when you did.

Unfortunately, God's not a vending machine (a struggle I sometimes have), and His timeline doesn't always match ours. He does, however, always keep His promises. Don't miss out on them, brother.

May 14, 2023, 10:36 AM

Me:

How you doing right now, Person?

May 14, 2023, 7:44 PM

Me:

Person, are you ok, brother? Please do not feel the least bit embarrassed or ashamed of where you were at last night. We're all fragile in our humanity, and sometimes we need each other more than we'd care to admit.

Please let me know that you're ok.

Beyond that, I'll leave it entirely up to you whether you want to talk more with me or not.

May 14, 2023, 11:05 PM

Person:

I'm ok

In conclusion, this Person is still alive, presumably still dealing with challenges, but alive.

If you are the above person, and now re-reading this, I love you. You matter. I’m so glad that you stuck around!

In fact, I couldn’t be more grateful!