World Mental Health Day 2020

[Suzi]

TRIGGER WARNING *SUICIDE*

This was posted by the lovely Emma x

*Trigger Warning* Suicide12 years ago I attempted to kill myself. I did a pretty good job tbh, but I still failed. I planned to do it again...& again. I'm grateful today that I didn't succeed.

It's odd really, as I know just how terrible it feels to lose someone you love when they take their own life. 15 years ago I lost my dad to suicide. I'm at peace with his choice, but I'll never fill the hole left in my heart from his absence on this amazing planet. The pain at times is still unbearable & the tears flow when I least expect it. He was an amazing man, yet couldn't see that.
If you find yourself in that dark place, I beg you to not act with haste. Take 5 mins, an hour, a day, a week to see if you still feel the same. Seek help, give your emotions chance to settle. Easily written on a page, not so easily to do when you're stuck in the middle of feeling you're not worth it & you're a burden. Those feelings can, & do change. Trust me, I know. We're human, we make mistakes, but we can work on those.

What changed for me? Talking.
I know I'm fortunate. I have a mum who did everything she could to get me through. And a best friend who did likewise. However, I also found the DWD forum, with kind empathetic people who got it! They listened, understood & were there for me in those minutes, hours, months & years when I picked up the pieces and found my path. People who were going through it, had been through it & were supporting friends & family through it.
A chance conversation with a DWD admin who asked me if I'd heard of Pre-Menstrual Dysphoric Disorder (Pat De, who I've lost touch with but think of often) truly changed my story. It gave me the power to fight a misdiagnosis, get proper treatment & reclaim my life.
My battle with PMDD is another tale, but you can find out more about the disorder here:
https://iapmd.org/about-pmdd
It's a truly awful, misunderstood, often misdiagnosed illness.
Together we can get through. Let's talk.
Emma
#WorldMentalHealthDay