The Silent Cry

Depression torments the minds of elderly and youthful alike. The worst part is that those whose bodies are infiltrated with this melancholy are often professionals at concealing their emotions. They wear a mask composed of radiant eyes and a wide smile. All too often, under these “masks” lies an entanglement orchestrated of long lines of exhaustion and deep blemishes of regret.

I must say with deep sentiment and sorrow alike, that Bryant High School recently recognized another martyr of depression. Last week, one of our students took life away from themselves in order to release the chains that held them captive. In respect to the family and other loved ones, I will not assert the name or the gender of this student. However, I will state that if you were so privileged to have developed a friendship with this person, then you know the immense amount of character they had, as well as a relationship with Jesus Christ. Merely attending the same school as this person was an honor. I wish in the deepest pits of my being that this person would not have harmed themselves, but I can confidently say that they are standing in a far better place than we could even imagine and my prayers belong to the family. I did not want to verbalize the word that you are most likely thinking at this point. However, suicide is more than a seven letter word in the English dictionary. It is the encasement of the second leading cause of death for ages 10-24. More teenagers and young adults perish from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia, influenza, and chronic lung disease—combined. This is a staggering statistic.

More haunting than the numbers that characterize suicide are the most common reasons. The top two motivations behind these cases are the use of drugs and failed relationships. Both of these are preventable and, if inhibited, could save the lives of over five-thousand depressed teenagers and young adults every day.

What strikes my heart is that such a great number of people my age end their lives over someone that they were in a relationship with. This causes my insides to ache simply because youth in this generation get so serious about relationships that will most likely mean nothing after high school. These suicide victims focus on the pain they are feeling in the present, without putting consideration into the satisfaction they will experience with a different relationship in the future.

Some claim that suicide is a selfish thing. Perhaps, there are some self-serving aspects to harming yourself to the point of perishing. For example, people who commit suicide leave their loved ones to grieve at the sudden absence of them in their lives. Nevertheless, I could never fathom how much pain it takes for a person to find it necessary to end their own lives, to make the desolation cease. To be angry at your loved one for desiring peace is an inconsiderate act in itself.

I began by defending the people who have endured the deterrents of depression, recognizing them as more than merely faces of a statistic. I stand by my declaration that misery is more than a temporary condition that we tend to overlook. It is about time that we, as a nation, start crusading against suicide. That we, as one body of citizens, force ourselves into investing our entire beings into our neighbors’ lives.

I dream of a day when no person finds it easier to harm themselves than to release the emotional burdens that weigh them down.

Have you or a loved one had experience with self-harm? Are you too familiar with depression? I would be more than willing to be a subject of venting for you. Don’t hesitate to email me at any time of the day. Thank you for reading. God bless.