Imagine for a moment that it is one of the good days.

Because you have energy, you take yourself on a walk.

There’s a little pep in your step.

You’re inhaling the beauty of your surroundings.

Sunshine is bathing your skin in a warm hug.

An ever so slight breeze whips in the air.

You are comfortable in your skin instead of crawling in it.

Trees and flowers are in full, colorful bloom.

Critters are chattering from the top of the trees down to the roots in the ground.

You stop for a moment to watch a few deer grazing in the field to your right.

Thinking to yourself, what must it be like to be so free?

Suddenly the path you are on begins to grow narrow.

You start to feel overwhelmed.

Your mood is unpredictable.

You feel a tightness in your chest.

Finding it hard to catch your breath.

It’s like you're suffocating as the world around you turns from calm to explosive.

The river that flows alongside your path begins to rage.

It starts to rise high, getting deeper with each passing minute.

You fear it will overcome the land where you walk and swallow you up in its angry fit.

Your pace quickens and now stumbling over your feet as you try to outrun what's to come.

Panicking and bracing for impact.

Trying to find any break in the haze to get out of harm's way.

Suddenly you notice the sky above is dimming fast.

Gone is the bright & glorious warmth that was beaming down.

The landscape is now covered in a pitch black blanket.

A terrifying cyclone of imagery and swirling false narratives ensues.

Thoughts of self-harm associated with depression, anxiety and worthlessness are much like the scenario described above.

It takes a firm grip, and it overtakes life as you know it.

You're thrust into a state of gloom & doom that causes you to morph into someone those around you do not recognize.

They find themselves being thrashed about down the raging river and over the ledge of the waterfall with no safe landing in sight.

Overcome by the feeling that everything is hopeless, no one cares about them and they're better off not to be alive.

The lies that take hold keep them captive to the racing thoughts on repeat in their mind.

It has them teetering the line of life & death.

Each passing day feels painful.

Joy is simply a myth.

Life feels pointless to pursue.

Pushing through to the next day all but steals any remaining give a damn.

The battle within the mind is one that demands attention.

It is often hidden for fear of burdening others or being judged.

Far too many lives have been lost to the silence.

We must raise awareness of signs and signals of wanted or needed help.

We must have open and honest conversations with our loved ones if we suspect they are in a fight for their life.

We must not dance around the heavy subject for being afraid to trigger.

We must remove the stigma, take off the blindfolds and speak up.

Lean in to listen or connect each other to support if we ourselves do not feel equipped.

Whether you suffer or you are instead a witness to the pained.

Stop being silent.

The silence is killing us.

2024 - Geena Hymer