Suicide and the Loss of Hope.

Hope is gone. And a life is stolen from us.

We read about them every day… someone’s son, someone’s daughter, a husband, a wife, a mother, a father – a dear friend, a casual acquaintance, a co-worker – someone you passed by every day – a fellow traveler in the landscape of your life.

Across all ages and ethnicities, genders and class.

Someone you knew.
Someone you loved.
Took their life.

And left us with nothing but confusion…
Nothing but anger…
Nothing but heartbreak…
Nothing but despair…

Someone you knew, someone you loved, took their life
And left nothing but a void…

Or so it seems.

But look again.

Look again into that void. They left a lived life.

Look again into that void. They left a clue.

Look again and see the results of shame.

Look again and see the results of isolation.

Look again and see the results of an aching hopelessness.

Look again and see depression.

Depression… is a thief.

Read that again.

Depression is a thief.

AND IT IS RUTHLESS.

It whispers lies in your ears.

And they sound like the truth.

It whispers lies in your ears.

And they become a roar.

It whispers lies so loud that they drown out love.
They drown out caring.
They drown out the life that you’ve built.
And the goodness that surrounds you.

The whispers become so loud and so relentless that all you hear are the whispers.

And you become unreachable and unrecognizable to yourself – and the people who know you best.

The whispers become so loud and so relentless…
That for a moment – one, awful, tragic, irreversible moment – you can’t hear hope.

You no longer hear hope.

Depression is a thief.

But we can stop it.

We can stop it by acknowledging it.
We can stop it by claiming it.
We can stop it by educating ourselves about it.

We can stop it by resisting the impulse to turn away from its face.
And we can stop it by resisting the impulse to turn away from those in its clutches.

We can stop it by refusing to be shamed by it.

We can stop it by listening for it.

We can stop it by hearing it– in our friends, in our loved ones and in ourselves.

And when we hear it – we can call out for help.

A doctor, a pastor, a therapist, a family member, a friend.

Call someone.

Because depression feeds on isolation – and grows on shame.

But it is destroyed by doing what we do best. Reaching out and coming together to defeat a common enemy.

Today – together – we can, all of us, push back against those whispers and the false promise of despair.

Today – together – we can push back against the darkness that wants us to believe that only darkness exists. That is a lie.

Today – together – we can REFUSE to let depression have the final say. We REJECT that.

Because today – through the lives of those we have already lost – we see not a void – but a call to arms – a battle cry – a plea – a prayer.

We see, not a void, but the glowing embers of hope that we, individually and collectively, will take the steps necessary to understand and combat depression and mental illness – and embrace those who are suffering.

If you, or anyone you know is suffering from depression and feeling suicidal, reach out. Speak out.

And remember that you can always call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1 (800) 273-8255, or find live chat assistance at www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org.