It’s Amanda C. Miller’s birthday, and in addition to sending well-wishes to Sailor Jupiter’s voice actor for the 2014 re-release of Sailor Moon, we’d also like to highlight an essay she wrote today about her past struggles with her mental health. To warn readers, know that her essay discusses her past suicide attempt, as well as her eventual recovery.
In the post, Miller describes the deep depression that she endured two years ago; in addition to revealing more personal descriptions of her own mental state and suicide ideation, she also refers to the world-wide statistics on how many people choose to act on those feelings per day. In particular, Miller hopes that her post will “give you hope that it can and does get better and there are things to hold on for even if it doesn’t seem like it right now.”
In the conclusion of her post, Miller shares her birthday wish with other sufferers: “Even if it’s just as a belated birthday present to me, please stay for today.” Posts like Miller’s are extremely important, because research shows that talking openly about struggling with these issues can help others reconsider and seek help. Also, other research indicates that many folks whose suicide attempts failed ended up feeling relieved. Delaying the act for even as long as a day can help a sufferer rethink their choice, realize that there are other options, and potentially seek recovery options.
We wish Amanda C. Miller a beautiful birthday, and we extend our thanks to her for using her platform to reach out to folks in need. It’s what a true Sailor Scout would do. If you’re in need yourself, please consider calling a suicide prevention hotline like 1-800-448-3000 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or any other local line you find via Google.
(via Amanda Miller, images via Tumblr and Imgur)
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