by Daniel Nkado
On average, 1 person dies by suicide every 16.2 minutes!
As someone who has struggled (and still do) with suicidal thoughts for a long time, I can confidently tell you that making posts like this can be pointless.
I’ve read a few — even ones supposedly written by expert psychologists and depression doctors — and they all kind of sucked. Literally! Filled with self-righteous mumbo jumbo that bring no actual relief.
Truth is, until you are there you might never truly understand what it takes to get to that point where all you want is just to end it all.
I’ve been there, so I know. Exactly why this article is not meant to diagnose or judge anyone — heck who knows, I might finally find the courage to take that last plunge tomorrow and all of these won’t matter anymore.
Or maybe it will — who cares?
Like seriously, who f*cking cares?
But here are some reasons you might want to consider sticking around some more:
1. You are not alone
You may feel like a little messed-up freak each time you battle thoughts about your own death, but the truth is that you are not. You can’t even tell anyone how you feel because they won’t understand any of it.
2. We all need you
Your story, your narrative, those dark unseen details of your existence, we are very much interested in hearing them. We want you to share them with us, in any art form you can possibly think of. You can narrate it to us, do a movie on it or sing a song about it. It mustn’t be now — whenever you are ready — but we need it. We need you. The world needs you.
3. It might get better
The pain, suffering and nasty thoughts that come with what you are going through now may never go away, but that does not mean there won’t ever be changes. I do not promise they will completely go away, but it’s possible that they can abate. Who knows, with time you might learn how to manage them better and you’d celebrate that victory with us.
4. You don’t deserve what you are going through
However unbearable the pain has become, you don’t deserve it. Nobody does. You may finally feel at peace when you are gone, but why choose now? Why not hang around a little longer, see more rains, more nature and finally finish that project you’ve been working on.
I love you. I get you.
Let’s just stay some more time, okay?
Promise?
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Daniel Nkado is a Nigerian writer and the founder of DNBStories.com.
