Esmé Bianco Instagram – Many people are scared of the word suicide. I certainly know I used to be. Having lost a number of friends and my aunt to suicide, the word embodied so much grief, anger and confusion for me. And then piled onto that there was shame and guilt from the times I found myself thinking about suicide. When I heard the word I felt scared and alone. It wasn’t until I trained as a volunteer for the @samaritanscharity answering calls on their hotline that I was taught the vital need to talk openly about about the subject, especially when it feels the hardest. To ask someone straight up, “are you thinking about suicide?”. These frank questions do not ‘put the idea’ into someone’s head, in fact, research shows it actually lowers the rate of suicide. When we make it ok to have these feelings, and normalize these discussions, it is far less alienating, scary and isolating for those grappling with thoughts of ending their life. This #suicidepreventionmonth please take some time to look at the resources in my bio about how to start talking to the people in your life about suicide, and what to do if someone shares their thoughts of suicide with you. You might just save someone’s life 🖤 *** If you are currently in crisis please check out my story for a list of helplines *** #worldsuicidepreventionmonth #bethe1to #mentalhealthawareness #suicideprevention #suicide #onelifelostisenough