September is National Suicide Prevention month, but we don’t need a month to realize that millions of people around the globe battle the demon which is depression.
Depression isn’t a facial expression nor is it an attitude. Depression can lie within the happiest looking outer shell, the prettiest of exteriors and most often times…you just never know that someone is dealing with such constant pain inside.
One of the most touching contributions to an online campaign highlighting suicide awareness, was a video recently shared by Talinda Bentley, widow of Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington, showing him laughing and smiling just 36 hours before his tragic suicide. Don’t take everything at ‘face’ value. If you think or know someone is struggling, ask the hard questions before it’s too late.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24/7 if you or someone you know needs urgent help. Call 1-800-273-8255 or go to their official website to live chat with a counselor.
Here are 13 images and status from people who have depression, or have loved ones that have severe depression. Sometimes putting a face to the struggle makes it real, it is real and there is always help.
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My daughter as well. The night before she ended up in the hospital they went to the daddy daughter dance and had an amazing time. Thankfully she’s still alive today and learning to beat her illness. She was 8 at the time. – Rayna Gawel
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This is my son , right before going to his computer to look up how to properly hang himself. Two days later he followed through. – Tasha Bernstein Collins
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This is my boyfriend two weeks before hanging himself. Will never understand it… – Agnieszka Ostrowska
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This is depression in our home. I tried to hang myself in my attic when the board broke and I broke thru the ceiling alerting my family. I fight every day. My husband tries his best but can’t break through. I don’t understand it. I don’t know why I can’t get rid of it. I have a wonderful family. I feel selfish, lost, sick and angry at myself. My brain has always been a little scrambled and I’ve fought just to make it thru school, I can’t keep a job. I can’t stay in task long enough or I take too long. I leave before I get fired. It’s hard to feel worthless and I hate feeling like a burden to my family. I have so much pain inside. I’m in therapy I have meds. All I know is even though I feel like suicide would make life easier for my family, I also feel like if I could just get my head fixed and could be someone worthy, I really would like to stay around. I have been trying for so long I don’t know if it’s gonna happen for me. Today I am here. We will see how tomorrow goes tomorrow. I take it day for day and some times hour by hour. Sometimes i think If I can get through one more hour I’ll go to bed and I’ll sleep til tomorrow and see how it goes. Today has been ok. I’m trying to find something good today to give hope for tomorrow. Today I try. – Zoe Vanmeter
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This is what depression looked like not long before we lost our beloved Luke. Depression is a SERIOUS illness. Don’t dismiss people who are hurting. – Lisa Althoff
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