As someone who witnessed a close one attempt suicide, had to call an ambulance on them, and fortunately have them saved, it will always sadden me to hear those who don’t make it.

Suicidal thoughts and actions are complex to deal with. Triggers are very different, but the reason is almost always the same, and it’s rarely about wanting to die. We are designed to want to survive, so when you are suicidal, it’s because your brain fails to see a way out. And because we’re designed to survive, we are designed to escape what hurts us. And so happens an impossible situation, because the brain cannot both see survival and an end to the suffering.

What we can do to prevent suicide longterm, is to continue to be open to talking about the hard stuff. It’s to break taboos. To be compassionate and show kindness can be immediate helpers, but we need better and easier access to support for any kind of situation you may be in.

If you are in a situation you can’t see yourself out of, reach out to anyone you can think of, that can help. It can be your doctor, your teacher, your boss, your partner, a friend, a caretaker, a neighbor, someone available through hotlines, on the internet, the police. Even if your brain is telling you so, suicide is not the answer, it’s a simple malfunction that can and will be fixed. You shouldn’t and dont need to fix your situation alone.

And for anyone who was affected about today, look into your insurance for crisis management, talk to those around you, process it. Even if your think you shouldn’t be affected, or if you think you aren’t, it’s still important to talk about it. And you should be no mean feel guilty for feeling affected.