Lynn Eusan Park was dotted with shoes and pictures of lost loved ones. | Raymond Tan/The Cougar
On Saturday, students came together for the annual Out of the Darkness Campus Walk at Lynn Eusan Park. The walk, sponsored by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, was intended to raise awareness and shatter the stigmas associated with suicide and mental illness.
“The obstacle that we are really trying to break down is the stigma associated with talking about mental illness,” said Kathy Zerda, secretary of the Greater Houston Chapter of the AFSP.
“The stigma is what prevents people from seeking help when they need it.”
The tattoos the Zerda family shares. | Courtesy of the Zerda family.
Zerda joined the AFSP after losing her son Jimmy — a 24-year-old aspiring actor and comedian — in 2006. Zerda said Jimmy died at a time where suicide and depression were not being talked about.
“He didn’t have the resources to handle those feelings, and he didn’t know how to get help,” Zerda said.
“Hopefully with today’s 24-year-olds, they’re hearing more about prominent people that have died by suicide, and they’re also hearing the resources that are available. My hope is that by making this topic (something) students can talk about, they can know that there are resources that can help them.”
With over 15 years experience helping others with mental health issues, Counseling and Psychological Services associate director and psychologist Christopher Scott understands the importance of the community coming together to raise awareness.
“While I’m a psychologist, and I talk to people about suicide and other mental health concerns as part of my job, you all are in a better position than me to prevent suicide,” Scott said, adding that the first step in preventing suicide is talking about it and knowing the facts.
According to statistics released in 2013 by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, there were a reported 41,149 suicides in the United States, making it the tenth leading cause of death for Americans.
On U.S. campuses, there are more than 1,000 suicides every year. Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among people ages 25 to 34, and the third-leading cause of death among people ages 15 to 24.
According to afsp.org, there’s a host of warning signs that people who kill themselves exhibit. Telltale signs include self-depreciating speech, the feeling of being a burden to others and the feeling of being trapped. In addition to verbal signs, some behaviors to look for are increased use of drugs and alcohol, withdrawal from activities, isolation from friends and family, aggression and sleeping too much or too little.
Survivors of loved ones lost to suicide often find solace in the memories and the reminders of the love they once shared.
“We did that as a statement to Jimmy,” Kathy said. “That we are very sorry that we were unable to help, we didn’t know we had been needed, but we love you, and we will never stop loving you.”
I did not know suicide was in the “shadows,” as poetic as that sounds.
I do not direct the term “stigma” and I resent those who do. It has nothing but ill intent.
I do not know who taught you either, but I would not repeat them.
I think you are too caught up on semantics. Im trying to figure out what your argument is, and what I have deduced is that you do not like the word “stigma” and would prefer that people use the word “prejudices” to refer to societies insecurities about an act that seems foreign and strange to them.
I don’t know what you’re aiming for, but to go through every article you find posted on here that refers to stigmas and mental illness just to comment about your dislike for the word isn’t very proactive.
The point is, people fear what they do not understand. Raising awareness and educating the community about mental illness will attack that fear of the unknown. Suicide is still very much a mystery to many people who have never had to deal with a prolonged mental illness, and it makes people uncomfortable to discuss it. By taking away the fear, by taking away that element of awkwardness/discomfort, you reduce the STIGMA/PREJUDICE. I get your point that the word stigma may have negative connotations associated with it, but call a spade a spade. It is what it is.
Thank you for the response.
The point is, you cannot call your prejudice my “stigma.” It is your prejudice to acknowledge, and hopefully, having done so, to overcome.
The point is, you cannot allow others to call their prejudice my “stigma” It is their prejudice to acknowledge, and hopefully, having done so, to overcome.
thank you for the article. the more who are aware that others struggle, the more they may reach out for help before it becomes too much. This walk is very important. Thank you Dr. Zerda and others for coming to support.