BEDFORD – Suicide in the United States is the 10th leading cause of death with 130 deaths on average per day. Darkness Into Light: Suicide Awareness Walk on Saturday, November 6th, will be working to help bring this issue to light.
Kristian Brummett in coordination with the Lawrence County Suicide Coalition walks in the memory of her brother Bobby Booker who passed away by suicide in 2020 and she feels it is a topic that needs to be talked about more.
“This needs to be uncovered, this is huge and needs to be talked about,” said Brummett. “The stigma needs to stop on keeping our thoughts and feelings covered. This needs be be something that can be shared to bring awareness. It’s a bigger problem than people think it is.”
“People still think that they are burdens and they think they will scare people away. They feel like they would be a bother to someone, but that’s not the case, Brummett said. “We have people who are waiting and willing to talk to you. With the way the world is now we can’t go out like we used to and it’s hard to get close to people.”
The main thing that Brummett wants to share with those who are dealing with mental health issues or suicidal tendencies, is to reach out to someone who will listen.
“It’s okay to feel the way you are feeling. Give yourself grace and reach out to talk to somebody, there are people out there who are willing to listen to you. There is nothing wrong with you, there is nothing wrong with seeking help, just do it. Allow yourself to admit that you need help, because that is a huge step of courage to admit you need help.”
This years event didn’t bring out a whole lot of attendees, but those who were able to make it walked together in support of one another to show the importance of this topic. Bedford Mayor Sam Craig and Brad Bough of Veterans Affairs were among those in attendance of the event.
If you or someone you know is dealing with mental health issues, you can reach out to the Darkness Into Light :Suicide awareness and mental health support on Facebook or the Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
