September is Suicide Awareness Month. Besides spreading awareness on the ever-rising stigma of mental health and suicide, September (and all months) is a time to support those who have struggled themselves, those who have been directly and indirectly affected, those who have survived suicide and those who have been affected by suicide loss. There are roughly 43.8 million people who struggle annually. In 2020, it was estimated that roughly 45,000 people took their own life, unfortunately there is not even a number to recognize how many individuals try to attempt to take their own life annually. Any type of adverse effects on individuals whether they have suffered themselves, attempted themselves or have lived through a loss, in no compacity is less than any other. As individuals, we must support everybody who has been affected in any means. 

As a suicide loss survivor, I can firsthand say, once you lose someone from suicide, you begin to experience your own mental health symptoms. Depression, Anxiety, PTSD, asking yourself the what-ifs, replaying “scenes” in your head, constant reminders, and unfortunately pure trauma. You also continuously believe that “that” is going to happen again. You don’t hear from somebody? You begin to think the worst, and you constantly relate it back to the events of who you lost. You watch a tv show and a scene comes on that brings you back to “that day”. It’s a repetitive pattern and one that is hard to escape. BUT there are resources out there that can be utilized and there surely is support!

September 10th, we are hosting our first ANNUAL, Survivors Day. A day to come together as a whole. Whether you have directly been affected by mental health, whether you have struggled personally, whether you have attempted to take your own life or whether you are a loss survivor yourself, this day is for you. It will be a day to celebrate how far you have come in your own life, how much you have overcame, how strong of an individual you are, and of course a day to celebrate those who we have lost in our lives. Survivors Day will be a day to gain knowledge and access to resources that are available to you and someone you may know! 

On-site we will have a licensed therapist, the Program Director from Gateway Foundation, a motivational/public speaker/life coach and the Author of, "You Are Extraordinary" and the Will and Grundy County Chapter of NAMI, who will be there to help educate you on different resources which they provide throughout our local community. 

Plus, individuals alike, who have overcome their own hardships but who offer up support and acknowledgement of your own feelings. If you’ve lost anybody, if you struggle, if you know someone who struggles, if you have attempted to take your own life, if you are a survivor, please come help us spread some love, show support and educate yourself on different areas to turn to, whether for yourself or for someone else.