I understand you

3 simple words that don't need any explanation, little did we know how many times we needed this and how many times we should have told them. 

I understand you 

we might have said this sentence in innumerable moments.

To understand someone without belittling them, or without glorifying our problem.

Being vulnerable in front of others and opening up about problems is the most difficult thing to go through as an individual and this adds a large toll to the problem making it an impossible situation.

Though the world says you can build your life and only you can form your life, we need our loved ones at times of difficulty, and to share our joys. 

If I say, the world is so atrocious and makes a person end their life, would you be shocked or would you say normality? 

An estimated 703,000 people a year take their life around the world. For every suicide, there are likely 20 other people making a suicide attempt and many more have serious thoughts of suicide. Millions of people suffer intense grief or are otherwise profoundly impacted by suicidal behaviors.

Just when the world noticed the patterns of adults taking these extreme steps and proceeded to act on it, we are now seeing teens and pre-teens numbers in this! 

Note that this is an estimation and it is the reported number, we all clearly know that these numbers are very less due to the myth and taboo around self-harm. It is still considered an act of cowardice and the word is still a shock to many families...

Death in any form, age, or reason is an unbearable agony.

Losing someone by self-harm breaks the generation, not just their parents, family, or friends, but generations of them go through vicious pain. To live with memories, and at the same time move on with this busy life is never an easy task. You don't get over it, you can't forget it, and you will only build your life around that, and the shadow of "I wasn't there enough". 

We are all unique, and so are our problems, and our lives, there is no definition for this, no societal class to go through this, each life has different reasons for taking the extreme measure, and their loved ones will have trillions of maybe questions. 

What do we do?

Be there for them no matter how easy the problem seems to you, be there for them without asking them to rush, be there while they struggle to find steps, just be there in the silence as the silence.

As I said before being vulnerable is not easy even if it is to a loved one.

Let them know that they are being unconditionally loved and that whatever they are going through is normal and acceptable. If a person is going through something the least they would need is criticism, because the whole world and their mind will already be doing that. And they will already be considering themselves as their worst enemy. 

Only by showing through actions that you are there for them can you let them know that you're there for them. 

Now, who is them here, it is all of us, every one of us needs support and needs people in our lives, no matter their age, societal class, or their status, etc., being here is the only way.

To all who go through the slightest inconvenience, reach out to people, to the resources, and never give up. No one in this world should think that self-harm is the only way to end problems, I assure you that there are hundreds of ways to find a solution and at least one will give us the solution. 

Every one of us is here for a reason and let us make that as to be there for everyone by being kind and emphatic. 

-Hope