I kept living "because recovery is and always will be worth fighting for."

I kept living “because of the support from my loving family and friends whom I can always count on. I also knew that from darkness light can always shine through and to find the goodness in life. I always know I have a loving support system to keep me going and staying strong.”

I kept living “because I wanted to keep going for the ones I loved and the ones that loved me. I saw the impact that several suicide attempts and many nights in mental institutions had on those that loved me and I knew that I had to keep going because I wasn’t going to let them go through life without a son, a brother, a friend.”

I kept living "because of the love, support, and compassion of those around me"

All of these are responses I have gathered from beautiful people within the community. All of those people chose to keep living because of something in their life.

All of us have something in life that motivates us or keeps us going.

This entire month is National Suicide Awareness month. This past Saturday the world celebrated National Suicide Prevention Day.

This year’s movement was put on by To Write Love on Her Arms, a nonprofit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire, and invest directly into treatment and recovery.

Its name? “I kept living”.

People from around the globe came together to celebrate a cause that effects over 42,773 in the U.S. alone. People shared why they keep living- what brings them joy, what motivates them, and what got them through their dark times.

You read right--42,773people. Aside from that, 117 Americans take their own life every day. Every 12.3 minutes, a person dies by suicide. 494,169 people visited a hospital for injuries due to self-harm behavior, suggesting that approximately 12 people harm themselves (not necessarily intending to take their lives) for every reported death by suicide.

These statistics show just how prevalent of an issue this is, yet the stigma around it is still a profound problem in itself. So many are afraid or unwilling to talk about this serious matter. Why?

Great social movements begin with the ability to talk openly about the issue and your experiences. Because of you and your story, we are able to erase the stigma around mental health, and get others the help they need to keep living.

Personally, suicide and mental health have always been such a profound issue in my life. Growing up, I watched my mother suffer from so many different disorders, and I slowly watched her decline all the help she was offered.

I remember hospital trips after overdoses, I remember her not getting out of bed for days, I remember her skipping family vacations and plans to stay home and sleep. I remember all the suffering I watched her go through, and how hard I and my father tried to get her the help she needed. Unfortunately, she never did get that help.

But I want to see others get help. I want people who so desperately reach out in ways we often ignore get the help they need. I want to see people smiling, laughing, and believing in themselves. I want to see people keep living.

I encourage everyone to speak up about their own struggles and what they go through. We often lead by example and speaking out causes a ripple effect where others will do the same. Together we can raise awareness and end the stigma that surrounds us.

What makes you keep living?