Out of the Darkness

Suicide is an epidemic that no one talks about. The number of suicides in Oregon is almost double the number of homicides and car accident fatalities. These statistics continue to baffle me. I knew the suicide rate in Oregon was above the national average but numbers this high need to be addressed. People are scared to talk about suicide. They avoid talking about mental health at all costs. These numbers reflect what happens when you ignore a problem because it's unpleasant to think about.

The mission of Lines for Life (the organization I work for) is to prevent suicide and substance abuse. In the last four months I have heard people with no hope who are ready to end their lives, call desperate for help. I've heard stories from people whose lives were saved. I've seen the ramifications reverberate through family and friends after a desperate person ends his/her own life. This is my first step to actively make a difference.

On October 3rd, I will be participating in the Out of the Darkness Walk to benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. They are "the leading national not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research, education and advocacy, and to reaching out to people with mental disorders and those impacted by suicide." You can read more about the Lines for Life team and donate here.

This is the first walk I have participated in and it's something I care about deeply. I would appreciate any donation, even just $5. What I'd like more than donations would be for people to seek help and learn about mental health.

Suffering from mental illness can be literally debilitating. Without physical symptoms, it's often shunned or people are told to "man up." It's my hope that reading this post will cause some of you to look into how mental health affects all of us. Postpartum depression, alcoholism, eating disorders, bipolar disorder, and more are often hidden from others due to the stigma associated with mental illness. By learning more and accepting these illnesses for what they are, an actual illness like cancer or the flu, we can make a difference. Who knows, maybe you could even save a life when you reach out and accept those around you with mental illnesses.