This past Wednesday, Sept. 10, yellow ribbons dotted the lawns across campus. The ribbons were assembled in honor of World Suicide Prevention Day, an event that is recognized by the University Counseling Center and different student groups on campus, like the Mental Health Outreach Peer Educators, the Dean of Students and Real Education About College Health (REACH). The purpose of the event was to offer “words of encouragement to those suffering with depression or hopeless thoughts,” according to Binghamton University’s website. As I observed these efforts to bring awareness to suicide, my thoughts turned to the sheer depth of this epidemic and what we can do to combat it.
Suicide continues to penetrate our comfortable bubble of everyday life. It affects all classes and cultures. Watching suicide take the lives of so many is disheartening. Suicide claimed the life of a family friend in the spring, Robin Williams in the summer and countless others over the course of my lifetime alone. Suicide has always been a hard subject for me. On the one hand, my heart instantly feels for the victim. I consider how deeply they must have been suffering to do that to themselves; an act so against our instincts. But then I feel angry. I feel angry at the victim because of the hurt they left behind. When my family friend committed suicide, one mentally ill person died and left three mentally ill family members in their wake. I think of how cruel it is to leave all that mess behind you. But then I go back to empathizing with the victim and feeling guilty for trying to moralize their pain. I become stuck in a cycle of sympathy and anger, unsure which emotion is more appropriate.
We should address the fact that people who commit suicide are mentally ill. They are suffering, likely from depression, and feel so worthless that suicide is the only option. For this reason, I find it hard to condemn those who commit suicide. First and foremost, these people need our support. That is why events like World Suicide Prevention Day are so important. Showing people that we value them can truly mean a lot. I recognize that suicide can seem selfish. But to define it as an act of pure selfishness is a gross oversimplification of a complex issue. Those contemplating suicide are sometimes unable to comprehend the fact that their loved ones would suffer. They are too lost in their own mental states. So, instead of debating how selfish it is to kill oneself in a world of suffering, it is more productive to try and help those contemplating suicide.
We can help prevent suicide by making a conscious effort to be there for the people in our lives. Do not neglect those you are close to; ask them if they’re OK. Let them know that you are there for them in whatever way they need you to be. Even if they push you away, knowing that you care could make a big difference in how they perceive themselves and the world around them. When interacting with strangers, make an effort to be genuinely kind, smile at people and say hello. Small acts of kindness can be monumental for somebody who feels the world is against them.
Although we can talk at length about how to help others contemplating suicide, the hardest person to help is ourself. Try to appreciate little things. Anyone is susceptible to depression and, to go back to Robin Williams, it can be surprising who is willing to take their own life. Look at the world around us and the beauty it offers. Part of happiness can come from within. It is not easy to escape from our own toxic thoughts but we can try to prevent these thoughts from occurring. If you have pain, don’t hide it. Speak to someone about it, channel it into something creative or spend time on yourself. Whatever you do, remember that someone in your life thinks the world of you.