Stories about Personal Stories
Suicide Prevention in Iraq: Turning Loss into Action
Suicide is still a taboo issue in the Iraqi society. Many in Iraq still feel shame in admitting that they lost a loved one to suicide, or that they’ve experienced difficulties in their own mental health, for fear of societal stigmatization.
Learning to Live for Myself
I went home that night, and for the first time in a very long time, felt I could breathe again.
Write a Letter
We all have so much more power than we know; all we need to do to access it is to pick up a pen.
You Are Worth It
International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day 2019 is Saturday, November 23.
The Mental Hug I Needed
Winter can be a difficult time for bereaved families, particularly those who’ve lost someone to suicide.
Understanding ‘The Why’
People who knew my dad tried hard to make sense of his death with statements and questions such as these. The truth is that we all ask, “Why?” after losing someone to suicide. In fact, it’s in our very nature as human beings to understand the world around us by asking who, what, where, when, and why.
48 Years after Suicide Loss – Remembering My Father
It is never too late to start to heal.
Fathers' Day: Remembering Michael
All questions we’d ask, answers none of us knew
Unspoken Truths: Mental Health and the African American Community
I know there is a need for more understanding and openness around mental health in our community. How do we overcome this?
Spotlight Interview: A Conversation with Elyse Fox
Spotlight Interview: A Conversation with Elyse Fox
I Know You Think This Will Never Get Better
"I know you think this will never get better; it will only get worse. But I need to tell you something and I'm speaking from experience."
Volunteering for Suicide Prevention: From Grief to Hope to Action
I have learned that the road to healing is not easy, but few worthwhile things in our lives are easy.
Together We Can
As a suicide loss survivor, I am the voice for those who can’t speak.
Honoring My Mother by Working Toward a World Without Suicide
My mother Helen is the reason why I fight to raise awareness of mental health and suicide prevention. Helen was an amazing mentor and confidant to me. I felt I could tell her anything.
Being the Boice – That’s Voice with an Accent – for the Voiceless
Have you ever felt discriminated against? Has anyone ever told you that you can’t do something because of who you are? Do you remember what and how you felt? Do you remember what you did?
The Second Half of the Sentence
If we work together to change the conversations and attitudes about mental illness in this country, we can stop saying, “I never thought…” about our family and friends.
Healing Through Advocacy
Walking and fundraising was something active that I could do. Slowly, through action, I began to heal.
Finding Strength from Your Achilles’ Heel
Speaking openly about my own struggles, sharing my story and having a #RealConvo about mental health has led me to a deeper understanding of both myself and others, and turned my former Achilles’ heel into a source of strength and power.
Feeling Pride in Managing My Anxiety: Mental Health and the LGBTQ Community
Getting unconditional love and understanding, and having access to healthcare, therapy, medication and support systems is not always a guarantee for those in the LGBTQ community.
How Will I Explain My Experience with Depression to My Son?
The following is an abridged version of an article comedian Chris Gethard wrote following the premiere of his acclaimed HBO special Career Suicide. The original article can be found here.
My Lived Experience
Melanie Figaro
College in the Age of Physical Distancing
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected people across the world in unprecedented ways. A large portion of those affected have been college students – over 25 million of us have been impacted by this virus
Pups and Their Peeps Raise Awareness for Suicide Prevention
Coming together to share in the experience of looping the trails of the Preserve in memory of my husband and of all those affected by suicide, was a very powerful moment.
I Am Always Kurt’s Mother
Being a mother who has lost a child, holidays like Mother’s Day can be especially difficult.
Creating an Impact in Diverse Communities
To learn more about our exciting work and read other Volunteer Spotlight Stories, see our 2019 Annual Report.
Taking a Virtual Campus Walk for Suicide Prevention
Infinitely grateful for a second chance at life following my suicide attempt, I decided to put my efforts into the cause of suicide prevention, knowing it could save lives in the same way it saved mine.
“I’m Still Healing.”
To learn more about our exciting work and read other Volunteer Spotlight Stories, see our 2019 Annual Report.
My Milestones: A Look Back at The Overnight Walks (Part Two)
To commemorate the 25th Overnight, we're taking a look back.
Volunteering for Suicide Prevention: Creating the World We Need
When asked why I volunteer for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, my first thoughts are about the faces of the people who have been impacted by suicide and how their stories motivate me to serve.
Running with Our Hearts
Grandma’s Marathon is a race that takes place along Lake Superior’s beautiful North Shore in Duluth, Minnesota each June.
Helping Others in Honor of a Loved One
To learn more about our exciting work and read other Volunteer Spotlight Stories, see our 2019 Annual Report.
I Walk for My Wife
The 2020 Overnight takes place on June 20 in New York City. Register today!
AFSP Advocacy: Transforming Hope into Reality
To learn more about our exciting work and read other Volunteer Spotlight Stories, see our 2019 Annual Report.
Education is Power
To learn more about our exciting work and read other Volunteer Spotlight Stories, see our 2019 Annual Report.
Preventing Suicide in Correctional Facilities Through Project 2025
AFSP is targeting the corrections system as one of four key areas of focus as part of Project 2025.
Why Wait to Make a Difference?
To learn more about our exciting work and read other Volunteer Spotlight Stories, see our 2019 Annual Report.
My Milestones: A Look Back at The Overnight Walks (Part One)
The 2020 Overnight takes place on June 20 in New York City. Register today!
Students Against Suicide
My first year of college shined a spotlight on my mental health.
They Didn’t Know What to Say
Tony’s suicide changed our lives forever. I could not accept nor comprehend what had just happened in our lives.
Joy, Hope and Gratitude
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is a proud leader in the Mental Health for US coalition.
Finding Your Moon
If you are in your own forest of uncertainty right now, I urge you to look up. Find your moon, or take a moon perspective. Do not give up.
Taking a First Step Toward Understanding
Victoria Gonzalez is a proud advocate for mental health and founded the first Out of the Darkness Campus Walk at Pace University in 2017.
The Front of the Line
Over the years, I've really learned about myself by helping others.
They Said it Was a Heart Attack
Nobody talked about it, not even in my family. Everybody – my dad, my grandpa – they all said it was a heart attack.
I’m Going to Save One Kid, Because I Lost Mine
Through hope, we can all come together to create communities and cultures that are smart about mental health.
A Letter to Brad, Twenty Years Later
I want them to see that mental health conditions can be managed in the same way physical health conditions can be managed, with help.
Scoring a Home Run with Youth Baseball and Suicide Prevention
As in life, we all make mistakes. It’s how we learn and improve that’s important.
Volunteer Spotlight: Camila Pulgar, on the Family of Loved Ones with Lived Experience
To get involved, find your local chapter and check out the volunteer opportunities at the array of programs and events offered year-round!
A #RealConvo Video: Comedian Gary Gulman on the Importance of Reaching Out
Comedian Gary Gulman talks about the importance of having a #RealConvo, and reaching out for help when you need it.
Volunteer Spotlight: Wykisha McKinney, on the Role of the Church
To get involved, find your local chapter and check out the volunteer opportunities at the array of programs and events offered year-round!
Walking to Raise Awareness of Veterinary Suicide
I walk in honor of Sarah, and in honor of all those lost.
Being There for Other Suicide Loss Survivors
These were my goals. But I couldn’t help asking myself: “How can I help others when I couldn’t help the person who mattered most to me?”
Without Judgment: Helping Others Heal from a Suicide Loss
There is help available for those who are suffering and for those who have lost a loved one to suicide. It’s okay not to be okay.
How I Survived the Suicide of My Son: 15 Tips for Grieving Parents
For 20 years, I have been healing from the loss of my son to suicide. I learned to survive one day at a time.
Talkin’ Baseball
I’ve realized that for me, my mental health is tied to making connections with others.
Transforming Loss into Action in the Mental Health Field
Not all mental health professionals receive suicide prevention training in their graduate school programs.
Between Matches
More than anything, I want my children to know that I love and support them.
Not in a Million Years
I’m definitely still on that path. I expect it will be a lifelong process. And that is okay.
Thoughts from a Long-Term Survivor of Suicide Loss
The loss changed my life’s trajectory. I am not the same person I was before Ryan died. There is a distinct before and after.
Depression Tried to Take My Mom. She and My Dad Fought Back.
I am a clinical psychologist, and I had interviewed hundreds of people with depression. I knew. Dad knew. Mom did not.
Brave
I felt like life just wasn’t for me.
When My Psychiatrist Father Tried to Kill Himself
Many people have wondered how my parents, as two psychiatrists, could have ended up in this situation.
I Walk for Hope
I’m walking to spread awareness and hope for a world without suicide.
Walking for My Brother, and for Our Veterans
I am walking to let people know that no matter how dark it gets, there is always light.
Losing a Friend to Suicide at a Young Age
I walk because every life lost to suicide is a story ended too soon.
Someone Who Understands
"I know that asking someone for help – which might seem like a small thing – is incredibly brave"