More Than 90% of People Who Die by Suicide Show Symptoms

More than 90% of people who die by suicide show symptoms of a mental health condition.

Let that sink in.

I hear phrases like “It’s called being a teenager”… or “[Not my child.] They’re just being a lazy teen!”… the worst phrase I’ve ever heard is “Clearly they don’t love their family enough to participate”. Wow.

No healthy person would ever kill themselves, or even consider it. When you have a heart condition, you take it seriously. When you have a lung condition, you take it seriously. When you have a kidney or liver condition, you take it seriously. WHY do we as a society dismiss the reality that there is such a thing as a brain condition? The tragedy is that symptoms of a mental [brain] illness can be masked as “just being a teenager” or “just being lazy”, or not caring about family and avoiding everyone (aka “not loving family”). Smiles and pretending to be OK can mask the symptoms if you’re not taking those underlying symptoms seriously!

You or your loved ones may not have a mental illness, that might be true. HOWEVER, are you willing to look? Are you willing to LISTEN? Are you willing to take some symptoms you’ve read about, and notice in yourself/your loved ones, seriously? Are you willing to ask a professional for help and get a second, and a third opinion if necessary? Are you willing to not give up if you have a feeling that won’t go away?

Look at it this way, if the worst case scenario were to happen (I pray not), will you feel an unbearable amount of guilt because you were warned to learn about what mental illness is… or have a sense of peace because you were willing to pay attention and listen? ???? Just READ about the signs and symptoms. If that’s all you do, just take some time to study about it, be willing to pay attention, and listen to your loved ones. We cannot always save everyone, but we can try our best to help them. ????

READ THIS AGAIN:

More than 90%…

…of people who die by suicide show symptoms of a mental health condition.

Author Box 04
About the Artist

I am an advocate first, and an artist second. My paintings create visual comfort-- spaces where grief, hope, and healing can live together without apology...

I paint what matters most: the people you cherish, the moments that shaped you, the feelings that need witness. Through art, your most precious memories move outside of you and into your home, where they can be held, seen, and never forgotten.

My work is rooted in three commitments: honoring the experiences of indigenous communities and the history of the land we inhabit; creating safe space for children and women whose voices have been silenced; and recording the honest truth of lived experience-- both my own and that of those who came before me. I believe art has the power to tell stories that words alone cannot, and to preserve what must not be lost or forgotten. I believe that all that we know about ourselves is because Art has preserved those stories throughout history, outliving those who created it.

When you encounter my work, I hope you find yourself in it-- not as escape, but as recognition. I hope it reminds you that your feelings matter, that your story deserves to be held, and that compassion and truth are still worth carrying forward.

Art is the voice that speaks honestly through the heart. 💝🪷