Trigger warning for some talk around World Suicide Prevention Day.
He was the only one
He always showed us how
He was the only one
Where is he now?
—Huey Lewis and the News, “The Only One”
What if I told you that on the eve of World Suicide Prevention Day a few years ago, a coworker of mine took their life, a person who was literally the last person anyone would think could possibly lose a battle like this. Not just because of the family, community, and professional support this person was privileged to have, but because they were a recognized expert on the topic of resilience and suicide prevention.
I mention that fact only to illustrate that if this demon is powerful enough to take this person, then we know this isn’t a demon one can wrestle with on their own. You’re not “weak” if you can’t bootstrap yourself up from depression, if you can’t “just get over it.” It doesn’t matter if “other people have it worse.”
But it is possible to fight and it’s possible to win, with help. I’ve seen that. I’ve lived that.
I lived.
Live.