Changing the Conversation

The second reason for emergency department visits for the age set of 18 to 24 are because of suicide related injuries, according to the Anne Arundel Department of Health in 2010.

Nationally, suicide is the second leading cause of death for young adults between the ages of 10 and 24, according to the Center for Disease0 Control and Prevention’s 2010 report.

“People don’t know that it’s okay to not be okay,” said Erin Butcher and Victoria Burgamy, co-presidents of AACC’s club, To Write Love on Her Arms. To Write Love on Her Arms, otherwise known as TWLOHA, is a national non-profit organization based in Melbourne, Florida, that was founded in 2006 by Jamie Tworkowski. It aims to, said Burgamy and Butcher, “Raise awareness for those suffering from depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide. Its goal is to change the conversation about suicide. Its message is hope.”

Although the media covers the passing of icons such as Robin Williams and many other actors and artists who have succumbed, suicide is a subject that should be broached before anyone is lost. It should be a subject that’s talked about before, not after the act. It’s a conversation that should not be forgotten a few weeks after the initial announcement. It should not be a trend.

Burgamy and Butcher explain that the topic of suicide and mental illness has a taboo against it because “it is something people don’t want to experience and because they don’t want to experience it, they try not to talk about it. And because they don’t want to have that conversation, they try to stigmatize it and keep it as far away as possible until it becomes very, very real.”

People don’t want to realize that if they “have a problem and let it go. It will become bigger,” explained Letha Valiaveedu, a full-time counselor here at AACC. For students who notice anyone having a hard time, AACC has made available to students for the second semester, Question, Persuade and Refer, otherwise known as QPR, workshops. It is a three-step national workshop that includes certified counselors who teach people how to intervene and guide their friends and families whom they’ve had a hard time reaching to clarity or to seek further help. The first workshop begins Thursday, November 6 from 10 to 11 a.m. in SUN 204.

There are also Transitions and Moving Beyond Grief and Life’s Losses workshops, which bring forth a healthy and supportive environment for people who are struggling in the same manner to interact and create bonds and learn coping skills. The first session is Tuesday, Oct. 14 from 11 to 12 p.m. in HUM 117. TWLOHA meets on Wednesdays from 2 to 3 p.m. in SUN 102. Later on this semester, they will be sponsoring a Hope and Mic Night talent show to spread their message of hope.

If you are interested in helping to raise awareness for suicide but do not know where to start, September 8 through the 14 is suicide prevention and awareness week. Suicide Prevention Day is on Wednesday, Sept. 10. And on Sept. 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention will be sponsoring an Out of the Darkness Community Walk in Annapolis.

For anyone who is struggling in any way, whether it be with someone else or with yourself, please tap into the free resources that AACC has available for you. For more workshop information, visit www.aacc.edu/advising/counservwelcome.cfm or call 410-777-1854. To schedule one-on-one with one of AACC’s counselors, either visit the Students Services Center Building for verbal directions or call 410-777-2307 to make an appointment with a counselor.

If you simply need to talk, please call the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s hotline at 1-800-273-TALK.