It was a cold night while we waited outside a restaurant we were only at to redeem a coupon for. After deciding not to freeze, we went inside to wait even longer. The place was crowded with others, and my family was getting perturbed. The boyfriend, a known annoyance, was strangely quiet, giving a vibe of “Walking on eggshells” with any wrong word blowing a kernel of sand into a sandstorm.
Finally being seated, we ordered, waited and recieved our meals. Most of us liked theirs, while a few didn’t. That small discourse would offset everything, and would destroy the whole night. While leaving, the unhappy ones left the others behind and rushed out. One of them, annoyed at waiting hours to eat and not even liking the meal. Some words were said in a certain tone, and suddenly everything went south.
Leaving the establishment was a mess, being threatened to walk home, until forcing an apology to be allowed to get in the car. At the house, the argument lasted hours the pushing, screaming crying, and sobbing tiring everyone out. When we finally slept, I stayed in bed for extra hours, getting greeted by my mother after an extra hour to get my dog, until I finally got up at noon.
Later, she would tell me she was scared she would walk into my room and find me dead.
That night scared me more than any movie or game ever could. It came at the wrong time, and had the potential to ruin lives if I wasn’t as hard-headed. Many people I cared about were lost, and the wounds from them were opened again, leading my mind to wander, reaching out to those that were gone in the worst way possible. Thankfully, I was tired and scared.
Those times are dark for the people that go through them, and they don’t always make it out with a red face and tear stains. There are an average of 123 suicides per day, and each year approximately 44,000 people commit suicide, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). The nationwide average for suicide rates has been steadily climbing, from 11.11 in 2007, to 13.92 in 2016.
These studies show that despite being taught about the signs of depression, many people ignore them. “It’s like wearing a mask that only comes off when it wants to.” Says one CHS student, “Almost like it’s a second person pulling on the strings of a puppet. Sometimes you tell someone what’s going on and they just tell you it’s normal, but you know it isn’t.”
Here are some symptoms to look for (from the National Suicide Prevention Hotline): click here
If you see these symptoms in someone, talk to them. If the situation is very dire, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
Artwork By: United States: Department of Defense [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons