I consider myself a positive person.  I’ve always looked on the bright side of life but not every day is a sunny day.  Life has ups and downs.  I try really hard not to allow the downs to go too deep.  Sometimes it can be hard to recover from the depths.  I have seen a lot of sad stories on the news regarding suicide, these stories always make me think about life and how hard it can be for some if they believe that is the only solution.  A beauty queen, young, beautiful, successful, and seemingly on top of the world took her life last year.  A Vice President of student affairs from a university took her life because of bullying at work.  Not to mention countless others from students to all professions.  Depression can hit people from all walks of life, children, young people, and adults.  Even if you look like you have it all together, life can be good one day and hopeless the next. 

Mental health doesn’t always get the priority that it needs. I think most people believe they can handle everything on their own.  A lot of cultures (mine included) try to power through mental health crises as if it’s something to be conquered or better yet ignored.  We all deal with the downs of life differently but dealing with it at all is the key to moving forward.  Life is going to suck sometimes, there is no way around it.  But finding ways to deal with that suck without it taking you to the depths or when and if you fall at least returning from the depths in one piece.

I feel grateful for my sunny disposition even when life is hard, and I cannot image feeling like I would not want to go on but, I can’t help but feel empathy for those struggling with their mental health.  It’s hard to know what to do or where to turn and people may not always know how to help you.  Some may go too far before they accept that help is what is needed.  I know it can sometimes feel easier to deal with pain alone.  I have struggled my whole life with allowing people to get close to me.  Part of you does not want to be a burden, part of you thinks that no one will understand or even worse, no one will care, or they will simply think that you are a bad or crazy person for feeling such a way.  Part of you doesn’t trust people enough to share your deepest concerns for fear of gossip or mockery.  There are so many reasons we all justify to ourselves why we should not let others in, I think a lot of us just prefer to go it alone. 

What I have learned in my life is that we all struggle but no one has to struggle alone.  People want to help other people, but you must be willing to be vulnerable enough to share your pain.  Someone may be able to relate or at the very least, listen.  Having a belief system is helpful when dealing with life’s pains. It can be a guidance through the dark and back into the light. I hope that anyone who is dealing with depression and feelings of suicide finds just a little strength to ask for help.  I hope they remember that they exist because they are supposed to, and they are worthy of life.