Suicide Awareness Month
What bringing awareness to suicide means to us at New Hope!
September is National Suicide Awareness Prevention Month. Suicide is the unfortunate event that happens to a person who was in pain so much that they did not see a way out. People call them cowards but in their minds they are being a hero by ridding their families and the world of their presence and feelings of being a burden to them.
Our auspice agency is hosting a week (Sept. 11th-15th) of activities to help bring awareness to suicide. Within the NEC community, staff can dontate $5 to wear jeans for the week and the donations will be given to a local suicide prevention group. Staff are decorating their office doors with a #letstalkaboutit, each office is decorating their sidewalks with chalk art, all staff will be walking a mile in honor of suicide awareness, and throughout the NEC community at 12pm on the 14th, we will give a moment of silence.
Lynn Cabral
What is suicide? Suicide means ending your own life. It is a way for people to escape pain or suffering. I tried to OD on some of my medications, but God was not done with me yet. He wanted me to stay around and tell people it is to stay around and tell people it is okay to seek help before ending your life. I used to self-harm as a way to deal with my pain and suffering. But not anymore because I love Jesus and I do not want to hurt Him.
Jayme Becker
My mental health journey started when I was 25 years old. Today I am 38. At first it was just self-harm since I was 13 then it grew to feeling extreme depression. I was diagnosed with Borederline Personality Disordered, quickly followed my Bipolar Disorder, ADHD, Anxiety, and major depressive disorder. I made my first attempt at 26 by trying to hang myself. It didn't work. My illness would fluctuate for years with many more attempts being made. Overdose, hanging, cutting wrists, and staying parked in my garage for carbon monoxide poisoning. I am so grateful that none of those attempts have ever worked because I truly love almost all the people in my life, and they need me to be here and I want to be here.