As a youth myself, I'm very happy to see the encouragement toward youth suicide prevention. I can relate to the topic of this forum very much. I, myself, struggled with many issues during my past teenage years. I battled anorexia from a young age. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at fifteen. I struggled with a lot of destructive behavior. I was in and out of psych wards and treatment centers, and I tried to commit suicide twice. I'm now eighteen and am working to use my experiences to help other young people who are struggling, and I try to help parents understand their children and offering them support.

It took me a long time to overcome my suicidal thoughts and overwhelming depression. Due to the bipolar disorder, I still battle these reoccurring thought patterns. I am in a struggle now to overcome the hurdles for my future that were created during my "chaotic years." I'm pretty far behind in accomplishments that are regular for people my age.

I know people say this a lot, but if I can get through it - others can too. Though I still have my battles, I don't contemplate suicide anymore. I'm now completely off medication, which I was almost dependent on for years. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, and you will reach it. One of my "mentors" over this time in my life once told me that it took me awhile to get in this "pit," so it might just take awhile to get out. But keep moving...don't stop. Even if you're crawling on your hands and knees, you're breathing. You're alive! It only takes one moment to end your life. But who's to say that the moments that follow won't be worth the pain? I'm not fully over my trials, but I've found hope and perseverance. If I would have succeeded in killing myself, I wouldn't have seen the little ones in my life grow. I wouldn't have the opportunity to keep working for the future I want. Don't lose hope. Every day you take a breath is a day of success.

To supporters - Everyone responds differently to different things. Something that may bother you may not hurt me at all. Something that may hurt you may not be something I even notice. All the times I was going through harsh times I just wanted someone to listen. A lot of times people say "It's going to be okay" or "You can get through this." Though these are true statements, they can come across as rehearsed or a routine show of compassion to some people. The best encouragement I felt was when someone listened to me, took all my flaws and hurdles into account, and THEN said it was going to be okay and offered personal encouragement. I think having an online group on WDC for helping youth is great. Through my years of hard times, I clung to my writing as an outlet. I was even involved here on WDC and had friends here that helped me a lot. I'm still in contact with another girl I met on an online writing site two years ago when we were both going through hard times. This is a great place for helping supporters and helping youth. Thank you all for what you're doing, and I hope I'll be able to become more involved with helping myself.






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“If I don’t write to empty my mind, I go mad.” ~ Lord Byron

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