We have a word in society that impacts people every single day. To give you an idea, I spent some time browsing Statistics Canada. This word was the second leading cause of death between Canadians aged 15-34 in 2019.

Why do we have such a barrier around this word when we are losing so many of our loved ones? In 2019 Stats Canada reported 1179 deaths in the 15-34 age group. 1179 deaths by suicide. Why is it, when we are losing so many of our young people, that we don’t talk about our mental health?

It seems that suicide only comes up when someone dies. I am here to tell you that for every person we lose, there are countless others who experience suicidal thoughts. Unfortunately the word is so heavily stigmatized that nobody wants to talk about it. People feel alone in their struggles with mental health and specifically suicidal thoughts. This is sad because suicidal thoughts are a common thing that so many of us have experienced.

Many of us are poorly equipped to help others who are struggling with suicidal thoughts or ideations. We have a lot to learn in order to properly assist those that are struggling. Part of that simply comes from breaking a lot of the stigma around suicide. Anybody can have suicidal thoughts, and we need to accept that. It doesn’t matter how great someone’s life might look from the outside. We all have our own unique internal struggles.

I have been living with suicidal thoughts for a while. I also know other people who have experience with suicidal thoughts. We have been able to support each other. Being open about my struggles has made life easier.

We need to be able to talk about suicide. That is the first step towards getting people the help that they need.

The message around suicide needs to be one of hope, not of hopelessness. Because all of us have a purpose here, and we can get through life together.

Helpful link on supporting someone with suicidal thoughts below: