Suicide, Let's Talk About It

"Perhaps the surest test of an individual's integrity is his refusal to do or say anything that would damage his self-respect."

-Thomas S. Monson

      At a young age I was taught to respect other people. To this day, I hold high regard for those who are able to respect other people, and disrespect is one of my biggest pet peeves. I feel we live in an age where this is becoming even more importance. We as a society are putting extra emphasis on respect for others. However, there is little emphasis towards self-respect. Many people are quick to give up their own needs for other people, which results in damaged self-respect. It is quite a test of our integrity to not damage our self-respect, and one that many of us fail. 

     Lack of self-respect manifests itself in many different ways. I know I am guilty of staying up late to console a sad friend, or skipping lunch to get extra work done. Others may sacrifice time originally dedicated to themselves in order to take care of others. If you are a parent, this may be especially true. However, the more time we take away from ourselves, the more disconnected we become. Eventually we lose track of who we are, and we become someone we no longer like. This can make us more likely to consider suicide as an option when trying to deal with our own problems. 

     However, just because we damage our self-respect doesn't mean we have failed the test. Most people are damaged, that is a byproduct of life. But we are never beyond repair. Start doing things for yourself. Take care of yourself. Love yourself. RESPECT yourself. You have to spend all of your life with yourself. Might as well make yourself someone you want to spend time with. 

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