Black Fins
Nobody likes to talk about suicide.
In the months after my dad’s suicide, I didn’t talk about it a lot. I actually attempted it myself a year earlier. But I didn’t tell any of my friends. It felt like there wasn’t anything to say.
You know what really bothers me, though? When people tell me how to feel about it.
“Don’t make jokes about death. Suicide is serious”
Yeah cause you know what everybody who’s dealt with suicide loves to hear? How sad it is. We KNOW. We literally all know.
With that in mind, I’m not here to tell you how to feel or how to grieve. For me, humor is the only thing that helps. For you, maybe it’s something else.
But after losing family and friends to suicide, I do know that you should at least talk about it.
Maybe you’re like me and don’t feel safe at your house all the time. That’s okay. There are numbers you can call. And people who care. Asking for help is not easy to do, but it’s always an option.
What if it’s somebody else, though? Maybe someone you love is in a dark place and you just want to help them.
Either way, you can always try dialing 988. That number will connect you to a trained counselor. You can also visit 988lifeline.org or find your country's suicide & crisis prevention hotline if you live outside of the United States.
There are no easy answers to suicide or grief, but hopefully the resources above will help you find a good place to start.
THE 988 HOTLINE
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the United States. They're committed to improving crisis services and advancing suicide prevention by empowering individuals, advancing professional best practices, and building awareness.
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