Self Care Encouragement.

Take pride in the little steps today. You don't need to conquer mental illness, you just need to conquer today. Did you get out of bed today? That is amazing, go you! Did you brush your teeth or shower? You are awesome!! Are you going to school, work, etc.? That is incredible!! Remember to give yourself love, you are doing your best and that is what matters.

Strong.

Warning Signs.

While scrolling through my memories on Facebook I came to realize something: in 2011, months before my suicide attempt, I posted various statuses a day that were definite cries for help. The statuses conveyed everything from loneliness to pain. I remember a few people asking if I was okay and then not rechecking. Mostly, though, I remember various people telling me to stop being so negative and stop posting negative statuses on Facebook. All this to say pay attention to your loved ones. Pay attention and actually care. Don't just assume they are negative Nancy and write them off. There could be pain underneath far beyond what you can imagine. Ask and ask again and again and again and BE THERE. This post is not to make anyone feel bad or guilty but to bring light to the fact that warning signs are a very real thing and should be closely monitored. Reach out to people and let them know they are loved and never a burden.
So, to anyone out there who has been feeling like they have been begging and begging for help and no one has noticed or cared, I care. You are absolutely loved and wanted. You are not a burden. You have a purpose in life that you don't even know about. You are courageous for being here. You will make it. You are wanted. Someone needs you here. YOU ARE CARED FOR. PLEASE DON'T LEAVE. I LOVE YOU ALL.

Support.

Hope.

My current boyfriend is this person for me. It took a long time and absolutely WAS NOT easy to get here. He didn't understand my depression, sometimes he still doesn't. He left me at one point because my thoughts of suicide and low points were too much for him to handle and he was scared. Ultimately though, he came back. He realized that he would rather be there for those moments and love me through those times than have me be alone. Him being that strong for me makes me feel strong enough every day to be physically here for him. The negative thoughts and low points will probably never cease simply because that is the depressed brain, but he gives me motivation to fight and to be better and to take care of myself. He loves me through everything and in turn teaches me to try and love myself best I can.
Don't give up, don't settle, and don't ever think yourself worthless or unloved.

Day Seven.

SEVEN DAYS OF SUICIDE AWARENESS:

DAY 1 - On average, there are 117 suicides per day.

DAY 2 - There is one death by suicide in the world every 40 seconds.

DAY 3 - Females are 3x more likely to attempt suicide than males, however suicide among males is 4x’s higher than among females.

DAY 4 - Suicide is the second leading cause of death in the United States for people ages 10-34.

DAY 5 - In the most recent reported data, there were more than twice as many suicides (42,773) in the United States as there were homicides (15,809).

DAY 6 - The percentage of adults having serious thoughts of suicide is highest among adults aged 18-25.

DAY 7 - According to the most recent data, in a single year in the US 1.1 million adults attempt suicide, 2.7 make plans to attempt, and 9.4 have serious thoughts of suicide. of the 1.1 million who attempt, 0.9 million made plans to attempt.

PAY ATTENTION. BE THERE. TELL PEOPLE THEY MATTER. CARE. LOVE. THIS IS IMPORTANT. YOU ARE IMPORTANT.

If someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please visit http://www.helpguide.org/articles/suicide-prevention/suicide-prevention-helping-someone-who-is-suicidal.htm

If you are having suicidal thoughts, please PLEASE contact me or any of these resources!

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK

Crisis Text Line: 741741

Lifeline Crisis Chat: http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/gethelp/lifelinechat.aspx

Days Five & Six.

Sorry for the delay, I have been under a lot of stress lately and have been struggling to keep up with things. Hope everyone has had a great week.

SEVEN DAYS OF SUICIDE AWARENESS:

DAY 1 - On average, there are 117 suicides per day.

DAY 2 - There is one death by suicide in the world every 40 seconds.

DAY 3 - Females are 3x more likely to attempt suicide than males, however suicide among males is 4x’s higher than among females.

DAY 4 - Suicide is the second leading cause of death in the United States for people ages 10-34.

DAY 5 - In the most recent reported data, there were more than twice as many suicides (42,773) in the United States as there were homicides (15,809).

DAY 6 - The percentage of adults having serious thoughts of suicide is highest among adults aged 18-25.

If someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please visit http://www.helpguide.org/articles/suicide-prevention/suicide-prevention-helping-someone-who-is-suicidal.htm

If you are having suicidal thoughts, please PLEASE contact me or any of these resources!

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK

Crisis Text Line: 741741

Lifeline Crisis Chat: http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/gethelp/lifelinechat.aspx

Day Four.

SEVEN DAYS OF SUICIDE AWARENESS:

DAY 1 - On average, there are 117 suicides per day.

DAY 2 - There is one death by suicide in the world every 40 seconds.

DAY 3 - Females are 3x more likely to attempt suicide than males, however suicide among males is 4x’s higher than among females.

DAY 4 - Suicide is the second leading cause of death in the United States for people ages 10-34.

If someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please visit http://www.helpguide.org/articles/suicide-prevention/suicide-prevention-helping-someone-who-is-suicidal.htm

If you are having suicidal thoughts, please PLEASE contact me or any of these resources!

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK

Crisis Text Line: 741741

Lifeline Crisis Chat: http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/gethelp/lifelinechat.aspx

Day Three.

SEVEN DAYS OF SUICIDE AWARENESS:

DAY 1 - On average, there are 117 suicides per day.

DAY 2 - There is one death by suicide in the world every 40 seconds.

DAY 3 - Females are 3x more likely to attempt suicide than males, however suicide among males is 4x’s higher than among females.

This is often attributed to the fact that males are more likely to use more violent ways to attempt, such as firearms, whereas females tend to try less violent ways such as overdose. 

Hope everyone out there is super excellent today. As for myself, I am hanging in there. Stress is getting for me. It's funny how I get so stressed about getting things done that all I want to do is crawl under my bed and not do those things until they go away, even though they won't go away until I do them. Ughhhh life. Hang in there guys. You are all important.

If someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please visit http://www.helpguide.org/articles/suicide-prevention/suicide-prevention-helping-someone-who-is-suicidal.htm

If you are having suicidal thoughts, please PLEASE contact me or any of these resources!

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK

Crisis Text Line: 741741

Lifeline Crisis Chat: http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/gethelp/lifelinechat.aspx

Day Two.

SEVEN DAYS OF SUICIDE AWARENESS:

DAY 1 - On average, there are 117 suicides per day.

DAY 2 - There is one death by suicide in the world every 40 seconds.

 

For me the hardest part about advocating for suicide prevention is pushing my own negative thoughts and feelings aside to be able to help others. I am struggling today again, as I have been lately. But I am holding on to hope that me being here is somehow helping someone else be here too. Please hold on with me. I'm with you, I know this is hard, you are not alone, ever.

If someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please visit http://www.helpguide.org/articles/suicide-prevention/suicide-prevention-helping-someone-who-is-suicidal.htm

If you are having suicidal thoughts, please PLEASE contact me or any of these resources!

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK

Crisis Text Line: 741741

Lifeline Crisis Chat: http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/gethelp/lifelinechat.aspx

Day one.

SEVEN DAYS OF SUICIDE AWARENESS:

DAY 1 - On average, there are 117 suicides per day.

Having made my own suicide attempt and having to fight suicidal thoughts on and off, I know what it is like, I've been there, but I can also tell you you will be so SO missed and you are so loved, even if it doesn't feel like it.

If someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please visit http://www.helpguide.org/articles/suicide-prevention/suicide-prevention-helping-someone-who-is-suicidal.htm

If you are having suicidal thoughts, please PLEASE contact me or any of these resources!

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK

Crisis Text Line: 741741

Lifeline Crisis Chat: http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/GetHelp/LifelineChat.aspx

Just be.

It's a hard day. Sometimes you just have to accept that. Today will be hard. This week will be hard. This month will be hard. Whatever it is for you. For me, today is a hard day. There are a few days every year that I will always have memories about; memories that have changed the path of my life and shaken the very ground I walk on. One of those days is today. Today is a hard day. I knew it was going to be a hard day. Sometimes, when there are days like these, moments like these, maybe it is best not to fight them. Fighting yourself is the HARDEST thing to do with depression. All of the energy is lost but still they want me to fight for myself, fight to live, fight to be happy? ALWAYS fight to live, but sometimes, on bad days, maybe don't fight so much to feel happy. Maybe just let yourself rest some. Take a walk, breathe. Don't fight the feelings, the memories, the pain. Just let it be for today, and know that tomorrow when you wake up, and you will wake up, it will be a new day, with new memories, and new feelings. Sometimes there are hard days day after day after day and they are so so tiring and frustrating and painful. But it will stop, and it does stop eventually. I promise you this. Give yourself a rest and a break. Be kind to yourself on hard days and know it is okay not to fight to be "better" today. It is okay to just fight to be.
-K

Today's Encouragement;

Some days I feel so overwhelmed with life that I want to crawl into bed with my dogs and hide under the covers until I don't wake up again. Today however, I am sitting on a secluded stone patio on campus in the shade of 76 degree weather on a sunny Georgia morning listening to the summer cicadas hum and I feel more at peace than I have felt in a good bit. These past few weeks, for no particular reason other than my brain disagrees with my will to live, have been pretty rough. But right now I feel okay. That's all I can ask in this moment: that I stay okay for as long as possible. Here's my wish for you all today: get up and go outside. Even just for 5 minutes. Breathe fresh air and remember you have a purpose, even if it is hard to believe, I promise you do. You are strong, you are loved, you are enough.
-K

Breathe.

Love

Love wins.