A few years ago, one of my college friends took her own life. It was awful and hard on everybody in her circle of friends. One of the most beautiful people I ever had the privilege of knowing was gone. For the next year or so, I did a lot of research into potential warning signs of a suicide, so that if the situation arose, I would know how to help. One day, I noticed a link on the PostSecret twitter account about a new organization that was to be the first online crisis network. That was when I was introduced to this awesome website called IMAlive. People would volunteer and either pay for, or raise funds for training to become an online suicide intervention specialist. This means that the volunteers will be chatting live, over the internet, with people that need help. It's a completely anonymous service, so it's a great way for people that need help, but are too scared of being traced, to be able to get the help they need.
Suicide awareness and intervention became, to an extent, my personal mission. I became much more aware of the people I came into contact with every day and made a conscious effort to be as kind as I could. Doing this, I realized a few odd things: first, that the predominantly Christian environment I exist within was extremely narcissistic when it came to depression, and second, that it only takes a tiny act of kindness to turn someone's day around.
While the part about Christians being narcissistic when it comes to depression can be annoying and, in my experience is true, I would rather focus on the latter point. There are lots of ways you can do small things for people to help them. Maybe give your waiter an extra dollar or two tip. Smile at people as you walk by. Tell the cashier that his/her hair/clothing looks nice (in a non-hitting-on-them way), and, if you have the time, get involved or support suicide/crisis intervention projects. You can do something as simple as advertise for a local or national suicide phone line (in the USA: 1-800-273-8255 is the national hotline*) or, if you want a more active involvement, contact the Kristen Brooks Hope Center or IMAlive to find out how you can get involved in volunteering. If you don't have the time to volunteer, you can always donate to help others raise the funds for certification. Donations to these two projects are tax-deductible too, so it's basically free donations if you itemize your taxes.
So please take the time to check out these two life-saving programs. If you can't afford to donate, and don't have the time to volunteer, then at least take some time to spread the word and raise awareness. Oh, and if you want to donate specifically to me (which would be super awesome of you) here is my IMAlive profile.
Let's all remember that no matter who you are, everybody has battles they must fight and dark nights they must endure. But, to quote Victor Hugo (author of Les Misérables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame) "Even through the darkest night the sun will rise."
So get out there and be a light in someone's life. Spread the word about suicide awareness. Remember that everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle. Love everybody, regardless of their race, gender, political stance or general opinions. And if you have the means, volunteer or help fund the people that want to be out there on the front lines helping.
*If you are outside of the USA and need help, do a quick Google search for your local hotline.
