Real Voices: Kate
This week’s theme in celebration of Suicide Prevention Month is Real Voices. During this week, we will be hearing real stories from real mental health professionals, loss survivors, and attempt survivors. We at V4P are hoping that seeing and hearing their stories of how they dealt with suicide, in one way or another, will provide courage and spread awareness to the importance of suicide prevention. This week’s theme will involve stories that may be triggering or sobering to hear. So, if you or a loved one is having thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-8255, or dial 911. The Crisis Text Line for Georgia is Text GA to 741741, this is a free 24/7 text line for people in crisis.
The first Real Voice comes from the Stanley Sessions Project, highlighted in Prevention Through Art week. The Stanley Sessions Project was created by Whitney Saleski and aimed to reduce the stigma surrounding suicide with photography and storytelling. This is Kate’s story.
“A lot of people think of depression as adding something, as if it’s merely an increase in sadness. Really, it’s all about subtracting. When I struggled with depression several years ago, I found myself incapable of feeling real joy, real excitement, or real pleasure. I found it hard to care about things that would usually have mattered deeply to me. I lost my sense of self, and I lost my hope for the future. After a while, it didn’t feel so much like living as it did existing. And when I realized that I couldn’t imagine there ever being a light at the end of this empty, lonely tunnel, I began to think of suicide. I considered it, frequently, over a couple of years. I could delve into what was going on in my life at the time; the factors that exacerbated my situation, reasons that it felt like a solution, or the plans I formulated. But that stuff doesn’t matter, and there’s no point laying blame. At the end of the day, my depression came down to brain chemistry, and I had neither the knowledge nor the support to deal with it. I don’t know why I decided to ask for help. I didn’t really think that things could get better, but I guess I decided that I had nothing to lose.
So, I asked for help.
Miraculously… beautifully, I got it. And my world began to change. Depression and other mental illnesses can still be scary topics for people to discuss. There remains such a lack of understanding. This is why I strive to be open about my experiences, and why projects like the Stanley Sessions are so important. To anyone struggling with depression and thoughts of suicide, please know that you’re not alone. There are so many resources out there that can help, and even if it’s hard to see, there really can be a light at the end of the tunnel.”
To learn more about Kate’s story and the Stanley Sessions project go to http://stanleysessions.com/.
