We all know someone … TW
Liptember 2024 - Day 10
Today is World Suicide Prevention Day. It's sad that we have a day for this. It's even sadder that we lose people every day because they have not found a way to get the help and support they need. What is one conversation could have saved them?
My first hand experience with suicide was at University with my room mate. I found her all bloody and passed out on her bed in our room. She was drunk and abusive and I was scared. This girl who had become my best friend, gave no indication that things were bad. We had fun, but she drank too much. We shopped together, made meals together, did each others laundry, looked out for each other, helped each other study - she did nursing and I was doing accounting. She was from Melbourne, I was from the country. She loved The Cranberries and Irish Dancing. I hated The Cranberries and loved all dancing. She loved to drink Raspberry Sub Zero's & I loved a Fruit Tingle. She was always the life of the party. Maybe that was the indication.
I quickly ran to get our floor RA who was a second year nursing student and then fled the scene. I needed the quiet. I needed some space. I needed to not see the bloody scene in my head. After being all bandaged up, my room mate was ok, quiet, probably embarrassed, but she was ok. She didn't finish Uni and had left not long after this incident. We kept in touch for a while and then she went silent again. I think of her often and hope she is ok.
This years Liptember research found that suicide and self-harm rates for 14-19 year olds (like my room mate at the time) are 16%, which is more than double that of the general female population at 6%. Lets talk more to our teens and ensure they stay with us for the long term.
If you’d like to make a Tax Deductible Donation to Liptember, you can donate here.