Those who commit suicide feel that life is not only working against them but will never get better; whereas, those who only think about it are able to find something worth living for.
—
My outspoken collaborator, a Philadelphia journalist named Christopher “Flood the Drummer®” Norris, was speechless during an interview with IHeartMedia about the highly anticipated, August 22nd #SayNoToSuicide broadcast, which is organized by Techbook Online, a news and event company, and heard live at 1pm EST exclusively on www.TheDrVibeShow.com, an international media platform for black men and those that love them.
What stumped Mr. Norris, Techbook Online’s CEO, was the following question posed by Ms. Loraine Ballard Morrill: “What distinguishes those folks who do take their lives from those who push on?”
My response to that question was approval: yes these are the questions that need to be asked!
But, at the same time, given Mr. Norris’ pause, it’s clear that we must be equipped with equally fluid answers that can help lead to understanding.
To that end, since listening to the interview – a replay of it has been posted across IHeartMedia’s Philly web properties – I spent time attempting to develop an answer; not the only answer, just one informed by my own experience as a suicide survivor.
My belief is that those who make the attempt to kill themselves buy into the idea that not only is life working against them, but it will never get better. Whereas, those who contemplate it acknowledge that in the present, life is a struggle, sometimes one that seems insurmountable, but the future holds something bright and it’s worth living to find out what that is.
I attempted suicide several times because my perception of reality was that not only didn’t my partner love me, but no one did, which made life unbearable.
In my new book, “Between the Dream,” – I’ll be giving a copy away to the most engaged person during my #SayNoToSuicide Twitter chat this Friday, August 21st, with GoodMenProject.com, one of the world’s largest websites for men – I write about starving the beast, the beast being any non-productive emotion or activity that distracts you from inching closer to your dream.
In this context, the beast for me was – and is for many – self-doubt, fear of success and worthlessness, to name a few.
Starving the beast, however, is just part of the solution. The other half requires feeding ourselves with affirming statements, thoughts, ideas and images.
A simple state of affirmation that can fight off demons of depressions is this: We’re all created with a purpose greater than death at our own hands, and sometimes the process of purpose requires struggle so that we can not only relate to someone else’s but intervene to ease the burden.
Healing is possible. For some, it’ll just takes a small glimmer of hope to see them through, and for others, it may take a village willing to wrap their arms around them.
Every person and situation is different, but it’s our positive and reaffirming actions towards them that can break through and lead someone to ultimately say no to suicide.
CLICK HERE to purchase Mr. Taylor’s new book, “Between the Dream.”
By Richard Taylor
Thanks for reading!
—
Photo: Getty Images