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Early in the morning of Friday, June 8, 2018, I posted the following on Facebook.
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WTF!?! I’m so angry this morning! When Kate Spade killed herself earlier this week, I thought it was sad and tragic, but maybe some good will come from it and bring more attention to women and suicide. Then the CDC reported the US suicide rate has risen 25% since 1999. Unfortunately, I was not surprised. Today I read the news that Anthony Bourdain has killed himself and I’m furious.
I’m so fucking angry that intense feelings of hopelessness, helplessness and believing you are better off dead don’t care about gender, age, or income. You can “have it all” and feel as if you have nothing. I’m fucking furious that people who know better, fail to reach out for help in the moment that matters most. I’m so pissed I’m trembling…
So what can I do?
I’ll keep being living proof that anyone can overcome suicidal ideation and attempts. I’m going to make my book Still Here, be 99 cents on Amazon. I’ll remind everyone they ALWAYS have a choice. There is no fucking reason anyone has to choose death due to emotional pain. There are so many better options available. If you have to drag yourself through life one second at a time – DO IT!
Tell someone. Call someone. Ask for help — that is the bravest thing you can do. Call 1-800-273-TALK (I have!)
Life itself wants you to stick around. So do I.
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I posted that for the world, then I logged off and sobbed. I felt better. Then I was angry again. I wanted to find Anthony Bourdain and punch him in his dead face.
I’m a survivor of multiple suicide attempts. I was a slow learner when it came to that dangerous lesson. Having an emotional reaction to people cutting their life short is common, but this anger over it is not. The suicide rate goes up and up, and people only seem to care when someone famous ends their life.
We’ve got to do better. Be willing to talk about it. Be willing to bring it up. Be willing to ask your friends who are trying to disappear what they are up to.
When I logged back into Facebook, I was shocked to see dozens of comments and shares. Talking about suicide does not make people die. Not talking about it does.
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