A little over a week ago, I drove to Cincinnati to attend a concert I had been longing to attend for years: Vans Warped Tour. The annual music festival occurs every summer, hitting just about every city in America you could possibly imagine. While the type of music that dominates this festival is not necessarily for everyone (ignorant people refer to it as "emo" music), this gathering of bands and their die hard fans is about more than just the music and great times.
This was my first experience at Warped Tour and believe me when I say I had the time of my life seeing and meeting some of my favorite bands. Many of the guys that make up these bands are great people that are truly down to earth, and they care about each and every one of their fans. There's nothing better than having the lead singer of one of your favorite bands give you a massive hug as you get a picture with the rest of the band (see below: Tyler Carter hugging me).
While the music and bands are all great and dandy, they were hardly the part of the day that impacted me the most. Each band has their own merchandise tent, which is where they typically go after their sets to meet their fans. In addition to those tents, various organizations attend the festival as well to promote their cause. Among these organizations are two that hit on a topic that's very personal in my life: To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA) and Hope For The Day.
As someone who has known multiple people, and one that's very close to me in particular, that have struggled or are continuing to struggle through depression, the topic of suicide prevention could not mean more to me. Even as I write this article right now, I can feel the emotion overwhelming me as I think about each and every word that I type.
These two great organizations are dedicated to just that: awareness and prevention of suicide. While Hope For The Day focuses more on the use of a creative outlet (such as music through their specific project Music Saved My Life) in order to get through depression, both causes made their voices heard at Warped Tour. And their visions are something that everyone needs to hear.
Suicide and depression are very real issues in America, mainly affecting young adults aged 18 to 25. Amongst all ages, suicide was the 10th leading cause of death in 2013, resulting in 41,149 deaths -- which amounts to 113 deaths per day, or one every 13 minutes. While females are more likely to be affected by depression, men take their own lives at nearly four times the rate and represent 77.9 percent of all suicides. (All info from the CDC).
The main purpose that TWLOHA and HFTD expressed at Warped Tour was simple: you are never alone. The concert was a prime example of that message, as everyone joined together for the sole reason of listening to great music and having an awesome time for a day. That same thing can be applied to preventing suicide. Too many lives are lost because people are too afraid to speak up and say that they're not OK.
It's OK not to be OK, and it's important that everyone knows that. No one can be expected to be perfect 100 percent of the time, and it's imperative that every person out there has someone to lean on. So this is me telling you, whoever may be reading this, that you are never alone. No matter how isolated you may feel, I guarantee there is someone in your life that genuinely cares about you. The world is not better off without you, and you are not invisible. There are many people out there who would 100 percent miss you if you were gone. And if no one is there for you, I will be that person. I refuse to let anyone go through what I've seen numerous people go through.
Together, as a group, community, city, state, country and world we can prevent suicides and help those struggling with depression and self-harming addictions. It's as simple as asking someone how they're doing on a daily basis and showing them that you care and I promise you -- it will mean the world to them.
Below are the links to the two amazing organizations I mentioned before:
To Write Love On Her Arms
Hope For The Day
