25/09/2025
Trigger Warning: This post contains mentions of su***de. Please read on your own discretion.
𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗧𝗼𝗼 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲: 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝘂𝘁 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
“We all have the power to become lifelines.”
𝘈 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘉𝘺 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵
______
“Talking about su***de does not put the idea into someone’s mind. It puts hope. It tells them that someone sees them, that their pain is not too much, and that help exists.”
As the world quiets down and the streetlights flicker on, there’s a moment, a sudden pause, where everything feels heavier. The laughter fades. The notifications stop.
Suddenly, you’re left all alone with your thoughts, trapped inside an invisible room. No doors, no windows, just walls slowly closing in.
You start to wonder, “Where do I run when it finally catches up to me?”
The silence becomes deafening, and emotions begin to shout… The sadness, guilt, anger, and shame.
Dreams once held tightly now feel like shattered glass on the floor. At this point, you start to ask the questions you were once so afraid to speak.
“Is this life still worth living?”
“Should I continue to fight?”
“Should I just end it all?”
For many, this is not just a passing thought. Every day, thousands, and perhaps millions—silently carry emotions too heavy to name.
They bottle up, seal them away, and try to go about their lives as though they are not breaking inside. And for some, that weight becomes unbearable. They begin to feel useless, like nothing they do matters, like no one sees the effort it takes just to wake up each day.
In their hands and thoughts, despair feels like the only option, and it hugs them with the desperate attempt to make the pain stop. They close their eyes and hope it won't hurt. Some do not get to open their eyes again, but others do. And they whisper to themselves.
“It almost worked.”
Then they wonder why it didn’t. What could this second chance mean?
September is International Su***de Prevention Awareness Month, a time to break the silence that surrounds mental health and su***de. It reminds us that depression, anxiety, trauma, substance abuse, and isolation are not rare conditions; they are widespread and deeply human.
According to the World Health Organization, about 727,000 people die by su***de each year. It is one of the leading causes of death among those aged 15 to 29.
Contrary to common assumptions, su***de does not just affect developed nations, 73% of global su***des in 2021 happened in low to middle-income countries.
Behind those numbers are real people—siblings, classmates, and co-workers whose pain was unseen and unspoken of until it was too late.
Su***de is not a selfish act, it is not a weakness. It is often the final cry of someone who feels invisible, overwhelmed, and alone.
According to Johns Hopkins Hospital, many of those who take their lives suffer from untreated or unrecognized mental health conditions. Added to that are personal or family problems, financial stress, trauma, or substance use, and the risk multiplies.
While the reasons may vary, one thing is certain: Silence is dangerous. It deepens the crisis. It isolates those already in pain, and that is why this month, and every month that follows—we must replace the stigma with compassion, and shame with understanding.
Talking about su***de does not put the idea into someone’s mind, but rather it welcomes the idea that hope is there. It tells them that someone sees them, that their pain is not too much, and that help exists. Su***de prevention does not just belong to counselors and doctors—it belongs to all of us.
Sometimes, saving a life starts with the simplest gestures, like asking a friend how they are. It can also be through noticing when someone’s energy fades, or when a coworker shrinks into themselves, or when someone’s spark suddenly and quietly dims.
Sometimes, all someone needs is to be heard without judgment, to be seen without being fixed, and to be gently reminded that they matter.
We must learn to recognize the warning signs: substance abuse, social withdrawal, sudden mood changes, giving away personal belongings, losing interest in life, or even saying things like, “I don’t want to exist anymore” or “I don’t want to be a burden anymore.”
These are not cries for attention—they are signals of distress, and these are open chances for us to step in with empathy rather than doubt.
Even if we do not have the perfect words, our presence and sincerity can make all the difference. You do not need to be an expert to make a difference. You just need to be present.
We all have the power to become lifelines. Our kindness, our willingness to listen, and our ability to show ourselves without needing to solve everything. These are already tools of prevention. Let us build a world where no one feels that they have to hide their pain.
Let us create spaces where people can talk about their struggles without fear of judgment or rejection. Let us remind ourselves and others that every life matters, every voice deserves to be heard, and everyone has a right to be here.
You don’t have to carry it all alone. You don’t have to pretend everything is fine. You don’t need to have all the answers. What you do need to remember is that it is okay to ask for help. That you are more than your lowest moment, your story isn’t over yet.
As Max Ehrmann once wrote in his work “Desiderata”:
“You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; You have a right to be here.”
If you or someone you know is struggling, please don’t hesitate to reach out to these free and confidential resources available in the Philippines:
NCMH Crisis Hotline (National Center for Mental Health) 1553 (Luzon-wide landline toll-free)
0917-899-8727 / 0908-639-2672 / 0966-351-4518
Hopeline PH (Natasha Goulbourn Foundation, in partnership with DOH & Globe/TM) (02) 8804-4673
0917-558-4673 / 0918-873-4673
In Touch Community Services (02) 8893-7603
0917-800-1123 / 0922-893-8944
These lifelines exist because your life matters.
So stay. Breathe. Speak. Heal.
When the world feels dark again, let this truth guide you:
There is hope. And there is help.
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𝘈 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘉𝘺 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘜 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.
𝘐𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘺 𝘊𝘦𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘬 𝘑𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘍. 𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘻, 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘜 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.
𝘓𝘢𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘺 𝘑𝘢𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘓𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘰𝘯𝘢, 𝘓𝘢𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘈𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘜 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.
