A semicolon is used to indicate that a sentence that was supposed to end, carried on and kept going. It is a symbol or a punctuation we use in writing, but it has also become a symbol for those who’ve contemplated or survived suicide attempts.
Suicide is a tragic choice that people consider due to multiple factors including mental health illnesses such as depression. Depression can affect anyone and it is, most definitely, not a “made-up” thing.
These days, people use the hashtag #KeepGoing to encourage people who are struggling with mental health issues and illnesses to go on with their lives; to remember why life is worth living. With this, we want to raise these reasons why — even in your darkest hour — you should #KeepGoing:
1. You matter
There will be times when things will get the better of you and you’ll feel like there’s no point in living another day of your life. You’d probably think that when you’re gone, no one is even going to notice because you don’t matter. BUT YOU DO!
You matter. You are not just something getting sucked into oblivion—leaving without any trace. You are important, never let anyone else tell you otherwise.
2. You’re not alone
The world may be weighing on your shoulders but it’s not all yours to carry. This is not a battle you have to face alone. Whatever it is you’re going through, remember that there will always be ears ready to hear your story and people who’ll lend you hands to help you get up.
3. You are stronger than whatever it is you’re dealing with right now
I’m proud of you for keeping on fighting 🌻#KeepGoing #MentalHealthAwareness
(Photos from Kylie Versoza’s IG) pic.twitter.com/l7Z6mq3In0
— 𝙰𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚕 𝙳𝚎𝚒 (@_angeldei) October 12, 2017
When life gets you down and you’re feeling weak on your knees, remember how you managed to get past the last thing that hit you hard the most. It still won’t be easy this time, but since you’ve done it once, you know that you can do it again.
4. You are more than your depression, anxiety, trauma, and pain
No one chooses to be in a dark place with emotions, feelings, and memories sucking the life out of them. You are not your mental illness. You are more than the crippling anxiety you’re dealing with. The memories that haunt you in your sleep aren’t the only ones you’ll keep. You have so much more in you than the pain you’re feeling and suppressing right now.
5. You are a soul worth having on this earth
Even when everything seems hopeless, I hope you find the strength to hold on. Know you are a soul worth having on this earth. #KeepGoing
— Debbie Then (10) (@debbie_then) October 11, 2017
Whenever you feel like there are so many reasons why your life isn’t worth living, I hope you’ll discover even more reasons that’ll make you want to live. Remember all the good things and people that made you want to get up in the morning and start your day happy. Their world wouldn’t be the same without you in it.
6. It’s okay not to be okay
There’s nothing wrong with allowing yourself to be a wreck sometimes because no one is always “fine”. There will always be low days in your life but it surely won’t be the only days you’ll ever have.
7. You’ll always find a way to get back up
It’s okay to let go, cry, and fall down. There will be times when you’ll crumble and collapse to the ground but it wouldn’t be the end of you. Little by little, you can build yourself up from the ground and you’ll learn how to stand tall like you used to.
8. There’s always hope for you
Even when everything seems broken and senseless, there’s always hope that somehow things will get better. What’s broken can be mended and what’s wounded can be healed. There are people, professionals whose help you can seek, who can help you get through it.
9. We are always here to listen
When some people try to invalidate your stories and dismiss them as petty things you’re doing for attention, I hope you’d realize that there are people like us who will wholeheartedly listen to you. Your stories and pain are valid and you should never feel ashamed or scared to share it with the world.
10. There are so much more out there
There’s more to life than the things that beat you down. There are so much more for you to achieve, places for you to explore, and people for you to meet.
11. You are loved
Never (even for one moment) think that you are not worthy of love, or that no one in the world would be capable of loving you. You are loved whether you’re aware of it or not. You deserve so much more than what you think you do.
12. Trust that it will get better
The journey won’t be easy, but eventually, things will get better. Over time you’ll learn how to overcome the things that used to suffocate you and keep you in the dark. Someday you’ll be able to wake up without wishing the day would end before it even started. One day you’ll find more options in life, and suicide won’t be one of them.
13. This is not the end of your story
There are more pages in your life yet to be filled with stories. There are chapters waiting for you to start. As Project Semicolon says, “You are the author and the semicolon is your life.” All you have to do is keep going.
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Read more from InqPOP!:
7 simple, concrete steps you can take towards improving your mental health
This mom shares what living with depression looks like in this powerful photo
Depressed people talk and express themselves differently, study finds