We Need to Talk…

Hey guys,

So as the title suggests this is a very serious topic so if you don’t want to read something serious feel free to avoid. Something has been happening a lot where I live lately and I feel like I need to talk about it so here it goes. First of all though I will say now that this post goes into things like mental health and suicide so please don’t read this if you this may trigger you. Feel like I should put that now so we can get straight into it all.

Where I live sadly there is a thing that’s been happening a lot lately, that thing is suicide. I know suicide is something that happens all over the world but I feel like it really touches you when it’s so close to home. The main way this has been happening is via a bridge quite near to my house. I use it a lot going to and from college and sometimes just seeing it kinda hurts nowadays.

During this time there have been talks and even petitions to make the barriers on the bridge taller to stop this from happening and I feel like this is what I need to talk. Unpopular opinion coming up but personally I don’t think this will help. This is coming from someone who has felt the way these people do and has also lost two people I’ve known to suicide.

I think my experiences with this is one of the reasons I don’t think it will work. When people start getting these thoughts and get their selves set on their plan there is very little that will stop them from carrying it out. Just because the barriers are a little higher than they expected does not mean they will stop and change their mind. They will still get over these barriers or even just find another way. This is the heartbreaking reality of what mental health can do and we need to acknowledge this.

The real problem is not the height of the bridge it’s the little help these people are receiving with concern of their mental health. In no way am I slating the NHS for this at all, I believe they do a wonderful job and try their very best for everyone that comes into their care. The issue is how little money and how stretched services are for helping with mental health. Not enough money goes into the amazing services we have so they can help people like this get better. Options is a local service that has therapists to give people the therapy they need and they are so stretched right now that just for basic face to face counselling it is approximately a 6 month waiting list. This is an insane amount of time for people to wait and for some this could be too late. The main way people can be seen quickly is by going private but for many this isn’t something they can afford so they get stuck in the system waiting for the help they so desperately need and deserve.

Why don’t we instead of paying money to make the barriers higher on the bridge put this money into helping the people that need it? Yes it may not be much but it’s a start in the right direction. The services need money to help these people and they aren’t going to get this if we don’t help them. You can help people too, be the friend they need, give them someone who will listen to them, support them and show them that they are not alone. Little things can help people in ways you will never know. Smile and compliment strangers you may just make someone’s day completely different. At the end of the day we’re all humans and we live so closely together that if we can be a little nicer to each other maybe we can help change things.

Like I said this could be an unpopular opinion but I felt like I needed to put my view out there. What is your opinion or view on this if you have one? I’d love to know if I’m seeing this completely wrong or if you agree.

Katie x