SCARS OF SURVIVAL

YOU ARE ENOUGH. SURVIVAL MATTERS!

BY NICOLE HEROUX WILLIAMS I PHOTOS BY NSP STUDIO BY SATHYA CALLENDER

Survival! It is such a strong and powerful word in today’s world. As we hear it or see it written it often inspires us with preconceptions of what we are about to discover about someone journey. Moving through the paragraphs we often soon discover that survival come with many moments of uncertainty. Survival begins in dark places. Survival comes from trauma. Through all the darkness and trauma, one faces there also comes many challenges in finding a way out, seeking light and learning regulation of one’s emotion especially when facing the debilitating battle that is Depression.

What happens when Depression takes hold? feeling worthless, feeling a burden feeling alone even when surrounded. Nursing untamed pains and frustration, not being able to sleep, wanting to just to make the hurt and the noise al stop. Craving rest from the emotional exhaustion carrying around this mental dysfunction causes. For many the only answers to escape one’s mind in to escape life altogether.

When Suicide is on your mind and you just can’t shake it there is many times you do try, you try find things that make you happy you, try seek comfort and validation in others but it seems this just makes you feel worse. But truly you don’t want to die so what is the alternative to stop these intruding thoughts ruling your existence? Well, are all told to reach out, get “help” but how is this possible? How do we know what to ask for, do we actually know what it is we are feeling? Can we see life beyond depression?

For centuries humans have suffered debilitating thoughts and unfortunately many haven’t survived, over many decades we have come to realise just how much people suffer, we have discovered that depression is not selective and that it can affects anyone in any walk of life, at any age, at any stage. others to salvation and no one is the wiser of the battles that they fight deep inside. Other come across as being tormented souls who just can’t function and for many that bare witness to their behaviours failing them while the seek direction assume they just don’t want help. Every mask of depression is just that. A mask that helps us survive. Just some have better abilities to “fake” it through. But all are battling and all matter.

As humans we have adapted to cater for our sisters in crisis but we are far from getting it right. Finding the right fit in support for someone who is suicidal is a mammoth challenge that many never see the end of. Why though? Its now 2022, we are all pretty equip with knowledge of what happens around us. we see the pain and suffering in the media, we see pleas of support for loved ones lost. We see campaigns to stop abusers, we read articles of stories of real people who faced their demons are survived and we watch movies depicting true life tragedies. We have all the tools to help. But why is it that suicide is still one of the highest causes of death? Why is it 1 in 4 humans through out the globe feel so depressed that they spend their entire life wishing they were dead, attesting to end the noise and the pain and why now in 2022 after the world enters its 3rd year of another pandemic so great that countries are being shut down causing more and

“Survival! It is such a strong and powerful word in today’s world.”

people to fall victim of depression that there is even less help available. Is it because numbers of sufferers have risen and resources can not match demand? Or is it that even though the governments around the globe would of knew how crippling depression is and should have been ready and armed with resources to accommodate the extra demand that would impact on what was already existing once covid 19 hit the shores of countries all over?

There are many factors involved in what causes depression. But its our governments that should be their making sure we are protected. They implement all these rules to protect us against covid 19 but in reality, they are causing more damage to our health by not catering to assisting us through the struggles we face even though they make a bunch of promises, just like the abusers of the world there causing our pain by breaching our trust and turning us away when we need to feel valid Too bad they didn’t and still haven’t? instead governments all over the world have cut resources to their people when the need is at an all-time high. Thousand’s suffering are reaching out, finding themselves being turned away, we hear things like ‘Sorry we are under staffed’. ‘Sorry we have no beds but call us if u need’ How are we going to survive now? Where do we turn to for help? Do I leave the doors of the hospital and take a stroll down the beach, maybe that will help clear my mind, maybe taking a small hike up those cliffs and perch at the peak for a bit

to gather my sanity can help? Maybe while I sit here high above the sea I can look out and find the light beckoning me. Maybe if I stand and just see how far down it is… wait did I slip, what happened why am I here. Why is there now a bed available to me coz my body is torn and bruised? My mind was in far worse state and you said you couldn’t help. These stories and many more are what is contained in the minds of survivors, they never forget their pain but by some inner strength and by some grace of the lord they are here to share with us their pain and their success. Why? Because every country on this earth still has so far to come to protect our minds, to help us heal. To prevent trauma and bring down the curve in the pandemic that is depression led suicide. Our world is currently in crisis but not because of a Awal virus but because those who are there in high places meant to lead us and keep us safe aren’t. they are crippling humanity and making many suffer by ceasing critical resources. So, it is up to people like you and I to make everyone aware.

We need to ban together in one voice and be heard that we all can survive. We need to tell our stories to give hope to those struggling because in this world of disempowerment and failed leadership its all we have to make another tomorrow come. We all matter, Survival Matters!