THE AUDIO OF THIS EPISODE HAS BEEN REMOVED AND WILL ONLY BE AVAILIBLE VIA PATREON, LANUCHING MAY 2021
In this intimate episode of Building You Up, I speak about my personal experience with Suicide. Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death for 15 to 24-year-olds and 2nd for 24 to 35-year-olds in America. On average, 1 person commits suicide every 16.2 minutes. That means that by the end of this podcast episode, 1 person would have died by suicide. Each suicide intimately affects at least 6 other people.
One of the reasons why I decided to share a part of my Suicide attempt story, is because I desire to normalize conversations surrounding Suicide, Mental Health, and emotions within the African-American and Latino communities in America. Most of all, my goal is to normalize being human and having a journey. We are all just trying to figure out this thing called life and all of us desire happiness, as well as, to thrive in life. I want to inspire you to claim your happiness by sharing parts of my story, as I work on myself. My overall message is: "You are not alone!" There are people that have gone through whatever you have gone through or are going through. Sharing our stories with each other can alleviate loneliness and help us push through. Additionally, as a part of my work to end the stigma surrounding Mental Illness and Suicide, I decided to participate in The Why Not Challenge. This Challenge was created by Content Creator: Angelica Pasquali. She said the following about the project:
"The #WhyNotChallenge asks everyone to post a photo of a list filled with reasons why not to go. This challenge can promote a uplifting moment of reflection for suicidal people. It is a great, non-aggressive method to let everyone that there are countless reasons not to go. Please don’t go. Even if you have reasons why, there is always more reasons why not." - Angelica Pasquali
Above are my reasons not to go. Even if you are not suicidal or you have not attempted suicide, it is powerful to list your reasons. So, what are yours? Make a list and use the hashtag to inspire others.
Suicide is rampant and Depression is on the rise in America. It’s an Epidemic. Reminders and affirmations are a form of self-love. They are ways to keep going and to keep fighting for yourself. Yes, the recent celebrity Suicides feature white stories, but Kalief Browder died by suicide too. It’s not a white problem, it’s not a black problem it’s a problem within our humanity, showcasing that suicide and mental illness do not discriminate.
The World Health Organization predicts that depression will be the leading cause of death by 2030. So, join me in the #whynotchallenge and take a photo of your list of reasons not to go. Celebrate reasons to stay, regardless of your Mental Health status. Use this hashtag and tag me. Thank you Angelica Pasquali for starting this movement.
Additionally, don't forget to check out this mental health recovery Blog: https://im- good.com/blog/ which I also mentioned in my podcast episode. Please do not forget to leave a comment or review. I would love to hear from you! You can do it here directly on this blog post!
Remember: The first step towards healing is open acknowledgment and self-acceptance. I've Struggled. I'm Growing. I'm Healing. I'm Good.
Disclaimer: If you're suffering please seek professional help or if you're in crisis mode please call 1-800-273-8255. Additionally, I understand that Hotlines can be intimidating, so if you are NOT in crisis mode, but you're suffering and would like to talk to someone who has been there then I am here. Feel free to check out my contact page. Reach out to me and I will give you my number.
