Youthful Life: X

"Hope is a necessity for normal life and the major weapon against the suicide impulse."  Karl Menniger The conversation on mental health, mental illness, and suicide start with us. Here's my story:  #TakeAMinuteChangeALife Asking for help is something we're taught from a young age will always be acceptable. At some point, however, that message is truncated and the likely we actually will ask for help when we need it decreases drastically. For an abundance of reasons, namely our socialization based on gender roles, social class, etc., we opt out of reaching out when we need it most. But to what end? Wouldn't we be better off asking and receiving the help that we need, when we need it? Arguably yes, but that invalidation of requesting assistance also extends to others and their willingness to give said help. With the problematic tropes of picking yourself up, trial by fire, anti-coddling/safe-space etc. running a muck - there's a fear, both real and...

Truth - Relationship above all else is paramount to the human experience. We exist in relation to one another. We persist because of our connections to those who matter to us. We grow, change, and survive because we have interact with others. Isolation, solitude, and loneliness in all its forms is the antithetical of who we are and how we are. In moderation they can give us solace but in excess they present themselves as threats to our humanity. This is connection.  "Since you cannot do good to all, you are to pay special attention to those who, by the accidents of time, or place, or circumstances, are brought into closer connection with you." Saint Augustine Here's my story of dealing with mental health and thoughts of suicide:  #LiveForTomorrow If I had the power to change anything the world it would be that saying how you actually feel all the time could be socially acceptable. The way society's and socialization work truly are mind-boggling. We learn the...

Truth - It's part of human nature to recall the bad times more often than the positive things that we experience. Those embarrassing moments, the tragedies, and all the struggles we endure stick out in our minds like a Kardashian at a MENSA meeting. We carry the pain, worry, and fear of things that happened with us wherever we go. Everyone endeavors to move on from what occurred in the past but some moments are too big to discard. What about when we keep making the same mistakes? What has to change for us for it to sink in? How do you hold on and never let go? " We need to change the culture of this topic and make it OK to speak about mental health and suicide" Luke Richardson If there was one thing I wish I could make normal it would be that it was socially acceptable to actually share how you're doing and be authentic about it. If only it was okay to tell other people how you're really doing all the time. I would want it to not be weird, off-putting, or ...