If you've scrolled through my website, you may have seen my charity of choice to give a percentage of the purchase to is the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention. Anxiety and depression, at least for me, go hand in hand. It's very easy to slip into a dark place when you are dealing with any sort of mental or even physical illness. I have not personally been affected by suicide, but it has ALWAYS bugged me when I hear people say that suicide is selfish or cowardly.
Having been in very dark places at times myself, I empathize and can truly understand that suicide is not a 'choice'. Depression IS an illness. Depression does NOT discriminate. Suicide isn’t chosen; it’s the result of when a person’s pain exceeds the resources available for coping with pain. An excerpt from an article by Kevin Caruso explains this with an analogy -
"Let me draw an analogy between suicide and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD): People with OCD have recurrent, overwhelming, obsessive thoughts that compel them to act in ways that others do not understand. For instance, a person with OCD may believe that his or her house is contaminated -- even though it is immaculately clean -- and thus compulsively washes his or her hands to get rid of the 'germs.'So do people who are otherwise very intelligent simply 'choose' to wash their hands 500 times a day?No. They have a disorder and need treatment. Now, someone with severe depression -- and untreated depression is the number one cause for suicide -- has a similar signal that their brain is sending to them, and that signal is this: you must die by suicide."
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention raises awareness, funds scientific research, and provides resources and aid to those affected by suicide.
DONATE DIRECTLY HERE.
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