When I was 17, a friend of mine went missing. She was my neighbour. She was someone I looked up to and I thought she had it all together. She’d gone to school to become a nurse, she had moved in with her long time boyfriend and was working her first ‘real’ job.
She always treated me like a kid sister and it was nice to have, because I grew up with a lot of brothers. She had only brothers, too, so it was nice to have each other. She was always so patient and kind to me, even though I was quite a few years younger than she was. I remember going over to play with her doll house when I was really little, or being invited over when her family brought home their new puppy. I remember spending Sunday afternoons sitting patiently with her while her mom tried to teach us how to knit.
When she went missing, everyone was so worried. Her mom looked like she’d aged years in a matter of hours. The morning she disappeared, she’d gone off to work, just as she always did. Nothing seemed amiss. Her boyfriend showed up at the end of the day to pick her up only to find out she hadn’t been at work, something so out of the ordinary for her. We knew something was very wrong.
It wasn’t until a few days later that we knew what had happened to her. My friend had committed suicide.
The news was a shock to everyone, but her mother later confided that she’d struggled with depression her whole life. It just wasn’t something that was readily talked about.
We need to change that. It’s something that we need to start talking about openly, because no one should feel hopeless. No one should feel that overwhelmed, that lost, that desperate. No one should feel that scared, that much pain, that much despair. Because it gets better and there is help.
Today is World Suicide Prevention Day. So let’s not be afraid to talk about this crisis, because breaking the silence is the first step in helping those who are suffering.
Suicide Prevention Resources:
Canadian Association for the Prevention of Suicide
National Council for Suicide Prevention
The Trevor Project
For immediate help or support, call:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at
1-800-273-TALK (8255)