09/18/2026
WHY WOULD THEY????
September is Su***de Prevention & Awareness Month. 💜🩵
There is a reason we need this month unfortunately.
Mental health matters, more than we sometimes realize.
When we hear that someone has died by su***de, people often ask,
“Why would someone do that?”
“What is that bad they would make that decision?”
The comment I dislike the most, “That’s so selfish!” Really???????
💜But maybe the question we should be asking is:
“Are the people around me okay?”
Because we cannot look inside someone’s mind.
We don’t always know the battles someone is fighting, the thoughts they are afraid to say out loud, or the pain they don’t know how to explain.
So many times after a tragedy, we hear:
“But they didn’t show any signs.”
Sometimes they truly didn’t show signs that anyone recognized. Sometimes the signs were there, but they were so subtle that no one knew what they meant.
So what are some warning signs?
💜Talking about feeling hopeless, trapped, worthless, or like a burden.
💜Withdrawing from family and friends. Saying goodbye or giving away important belongings.
💜Sudden changes in sleep, mood, behavior, or substance use.
💜Taking unusual risks.
💜Talking about death or not wanting to be here anymore.
💜Sometimes even a sudden sense of calm after a period of extreme distress can be concerning.
But here is something else we need to understand:
Not everyone will show obvious warning signs.
💜Someone can go to work.
Go to school.
💜Take care of their children.
💜Laugh with their friends.
💜Post a smiling pictures and still be struggling inside.
💜They do that they can to hide it from family and friends.
We also have to stop deciding how much something should hurt another person.
What might seem little to one person could feel absolutely life-threatening to someone else.
We don’t get to measure another person’s pain by how we would handle the same situation.
I sit in a meeting once a week, and a question has been asked many times:
“How many people here have ever thought about su***de?”
Almost every hand goes up.
Yes! Read that again!
Almost every hand!
Suicidal thoughts are more common than many people realize.
Life is hard, The weight of the world can feel heavy. Some people show their emotions openly, while others walk around with the biggest smiles on their faces while fighting a battle inside that no one can see.
I truly believe that many people experiencing suicidal thoughts don’t necessarily want their life to end—they desperately want their pain to end.
Pain they may not know how to express.
Pain they may not even completely understand themselves.
Sometimes that pain convinces them that they are a burden, that everyone would be better off without them.
They may not be able to see in that moment just how deeply they are loved or how many people would do absolutely anything to help them through it.
So please, check on your people, and please not only check on the ones who look like they’re struggling.
💜Check on the strong friend,
💜The funny friend,
💜The busy mom,
💜The person who always says, “I’m fine.”
💜The person who is always taking care of everybody else.
Ask the uncomfortable question:
“Are you okay?”
And then stay long enough to really hear the answer.
If you’re worried about someone, it is okay to ask them directly, “Are you thinking about su***de?” Asking that question does not put the idea into someone’s head. It can open the door for them to finally tell someone what they have been carrying.
If YOU are struggling or having thoughts of su***de, I am begging you: please tell someone.
Tell someone you trust. Call your doctor. Go to the emergency room if you are in immediate danger. And if you don’t know who to turn to, call or text 988 to reach the Su***de & Crisis Lifeline.
Please don’t be ashamed of your pain.
You don’t have to understand everything you’re feeling before you ask for help.
Asking for HELP is the bravest thing you can do for yourself and the people that love you!
Stay, Please stay🙏
There are people who want you here!
💜🩵 YOU MATTER. 🩵💜
