I am a suicide survivor. I am no longer ashamed. And your discomfort upon hearing this, family, friends and society, is not my work. It is yours.
What a liberating and powerful affirmation for which I can begin my day. Because so many days I do not want to begin my day. I want to end my day. And the day after. And the day after that.
As I try to explain this to those who love me but don't understand suicide; it's not that I want to off myself. It's the idea of living inside my brain one more day that becomes intolerable. I feel hopeless. I feel helpless. I feel like no clinician or researcher will ever fully understand how COVID has changed my entire life. It has permeated through my organs, my muscles, my nerves. It has changed EVERY SINGLE thing about who I was. Why would anyone ever want to live like that?
Yet, I do. And I am so grateful for you reminding me that sharing my pain and my grief and my suicidal ideation can and does actually lessen those feelings of hopelessness. I have a psychiatrist, a new psychologist and, next week, a new neurologist. I have asked a close friend to go with me and advocate for and with me. As another close friend reminds me, "Left foot, right foot."
Thank you for providing such a safe space to share my mental illness with all of you. ššš
I lost my mum to suicide, it so hard to discuss with people when they ask how she passed and I realise I need not water it down for others, as it will perpetuate the stigma. Thank you for writing this piece really beautiful!
Thank you for writing this. The stigma that surrounds mental health and suicide, while being better than it once was, still has a long way to go. I myself only recently wrote about suicidal ideation here on Substack. It was the first time I had ever really publicly voiced it. It was hard and scary to do. It still scares me, because of the stigma, but I am working to be brave about sharing it. It needs to be talked about and better understood as the health struggles it is. Again, thank you for writing this. I found it very encouraging.
Thank you, Kate, you beautiful human. Iām so glad you are here! š
Such an important message. Thank you š
āI am a suicide survivor. I am not ashamed. And your discomfort upon hearing that, society, is not my work. It is yours.ā
So important!! Thank you for speaking out, and for being hereā¦staying alive.
"I AM A SUICIDE SURVIVOR!" Thank you Kate for helping me be brave. ššš
Yes, please let us drop the euphemisms and acknowledge the painful reality of suicide. This is such an important message. Thank you, Kate. š
Thank you for this. ā¤ļø
Thank you for this. I've been hesitant to write openly about my own survivor status, but you make me think it's time I do so, for the sake of others.
I am a suicide survivor. I am no longer ashamed. And your discomfort upon hearing this, family, friends and society, is not my work. It is yours.
What a liberating and powerful affirmation for which I can begin my day. Because so many days I do not want to begin my day. I want to end my day. And the day after. And the day after that.
As I try to explain this to those who love me but don't understand suicide; it's not that I want to off myself. It's the idea of living inside my brain one more day that becomes intolerable. I feel hopeless. I feel helpless. I feel like no clinician or researcher will ever fully understand how COVID has changed my entire life. It has permeated through my organs, my muscles, my nerves. It has changed EVERY SINGLE thing about who I was. Why would anyone ever want to live like that?
Yet, I do. And I am so grateful for you reminding me that sharing my pain and my grief and my suicidal ideation can and does actually lessen those feelings of hopelessness. I have a psychiatrist, a new psychologist and, next week, a new neurologist. I have asked a close friend to go with me and advocate for and with me. As another close friend reminds me, "Left foot, right foot."
Thank you for providing such a safe space to share my mental illness with all of you. ššš
Thank you Kate! Love you and your entire clan! Have a day! šš
I lost my mum to suicide, it so hard to discuss with people when they ask how she passed and I realise I need not water it down for others, as it will perpetuate the stigma. Thank you for writing this piece really beautiful!
Thank you for writing this. The stigma that surrounds mental health and suicide, while being better than it once was, still has a long way to go. I myself only recently wrote about suicidal ideation here on Substack. It was the first time I had ever really publicly voiced it. It was hard and scary to do. It still scares me, because of the stigma, but I am working to be brave about sharing it. It needs to be talked about and better understood as the health struggles it is. Again, thank you for writing this. I found it very encouraging.
"The people who live with serious mental illness and die by suicide are not unmentionable." Thank you
Itās not irony that I found this post the day I shared a letter I wrote to my 17yr old self who attempted suicide. I am a suicide survivor.
So grateful for this piece and the way you so courageously and honestly name what ought to be named.
Life is a gift
š
Iām in favor of using the real words and eliciting a real response toward the end of real healing and a reduction in the numbersā¦