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Thursday, July 5, 2012

Killing Suicide: Fighting the War of Blood

Screenshot from  http://www.sixbillionsecrets.com/category/17/Self-esteem/14?rightKey 


Six billion secrets.


Most of the time we don't see the baggage people are carrying--even the people we call our closest friends. As humans, we tend to throw our extra luggage in the trunk. We cover it up with a smile or an application of makeup. And no one ever sees it.

Or so we think.

Websites like "Six Billion Secrets" have shown me one thing: everyone hurts. There are countless stories of people...kids...dealing with depression, self-esteem issues, self-mutilation, and suicidal tendencies. You can't help but feel for them. You can't help but cheer on the kids that find little things to get themselves through the day--like a pint of ice cream or watching their favorite television show.

Anything that can give them relief. Even for an hour.

But people can be downright cruel. Parents that expect their children to live out the dreams the parents failed to achieve. Guys that take advantage of their girlfriends, and gals that are willing to sell their bodies to the highest bidder. People that are expected by society to have the "perfect" body...the same bodies that are photoshopped, edited, and airbrushed on magazine covers. Bullies and strangers that pick out the weakest and most vulnerable and exploit them with verbal and physical abuse. One can hardly blame these victims from resorting to something to dull their pain.

The problem is, however, the "something" should not be an option.

Everyone you pass in your day-to-day activities has their own "something." And more often than we'd like to think about, that "something" is causing harm to themselves. Cutting their wrists. Anorexia or bulimia. Suicidal thoughts. Debilitating depression. There is so much pain--and the age kids are starting these blood-stained outlets for pain is getting younger and younger.

Think about that the next time you pass someone at work that looks frustrated. Or the next time you see someone in the grocery store that looks perfectly happy. You have no idea what they are going through or the facade of happiness they may be putting on. No one shows the baggage that they carry.

But if and when you get a glimpse of that baggage, remember it. And help them unload it.

That's where organizations that help fight depression and suicide are so inspirational. They inspire me to take a stand against the "epidemic of blood" that has surged through today's kids. As a media student, I can't help but imagine using podcasts and videos to help fight the war on self-harm. It's not a lot, but it is something I can do.

And the best news is, we don't have to do it alone. We don't have to fight this war alone. Those kids don't have to fight their internal demons alone. For them, there are countless organizations to help, phone hotlines to call, people to confide in, and counselors to talk to.

Plus, it helps to have a God that can make those demons shudder.

So remember all this the next time you have any interaction with someone. Think about what they might be carrying around with them--even if you can't see it. Pay attention long enough and you will.

And as for the war, we'll keep fighting until everyone can visit another favorite website of mine:

Screenshot taken from  http://www.givesmehope.com/

A website known as "Gives Me Hope."

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