hello all. there are a lot of words written below here, but i sincerely ask you take the time to read them anyways, especially those who have been affected in anyway by mental health struggles or suicide:
This week is the 6th year anniversary of the death of a cousin I was extremely close with whose name was Matthew.
Matthew lived in a very, very rural area in the USAmerican South, and had no access whatsoever to mental healthcare or support when he began experiencing suicidal ideation. Rural communities tend to have more conservative and 'old fashioned' feelings towards mental health, and that (often extreme) stigma leads to a feeling of extreme isolation and helplessness amongst struggling people in these areas. Most healthcare resources that are centered on mental wellbeing are only provided in urban areas, and the extreme poverty in a lot of rural communities mean that the few people who do have access to these resources often have to choose between food on the table or therapy.
Suicide rates in rural areas in the USA are significantly higher than urban ones-- not just because of the greater number of attempts, but also because when the closest hospital is 3 hours away, suicide attempts that might not have been lethal when quickly treated become far more likely to end in a fatality. Rural areas are also significantly more likely to allow easy access to firearms, and when firearms are used in an suicide attempt, medical intervention from a hospital 3 hours from your home is unlikely to do much help.
That is what happened to Matthew. At 19, he took advantage of that ease of access to firearms and took his life in his local grocery store's parking lot. While it was obvious from the moment he was found that there would be no saving him, his family still made the 3 hour drive to the hospital. His ma held what was left of him the entire time, and the hospital bill his parents were given just from the doctors declaring Matthew dead was enough to practically bankrupt his family.
Matthew chose not to leave a note.
This is a painfully common story in rural communities. With next to no resources, those who need help the most rarely get it, and most end up in a coffin surrounded by mourners who are terrified to say the word 'suicide'.
So what can I do? What can we do? For the next two weeks (February 17th through March 3rd) , in honor of Matthew, I will be matching donations (to the best of my ability) to the nonprofit Rural Minds.
Rural Minds™ is a nonprofit that aims to end the suffering, silence and stigma around mental illness in rural America. Our mission is to serv
Rural minds is a group focusing on destigmatizing mental health in rural areas, providing resources for those who are struggling and for their loved ones, as well as campaigning for local, state, and federal government grants to help fund mental health supports in rural areas. Matthew is gone. I will never see him again. Every year, February is agony for my family. But, together, we can help change the life of someone who might become another Matthew.
If you donate to Rural Minds and provide proof of your donation, I will match your donation (and provide proof of my own). I know 300$ is a lofty goal to hope for, but if we get even a little bit close, we will still be helping save lives.
I couldn't help Matthew. But we can help prevent others from feeling that his choice has to be theirs are well. So lets see if we can get to 300$!
(Ps: At rural mind's donation page, you are able to dedicate your donation to the memory of a loved one. If you feel so called, it would mean the world for you to dedicate yours to Matthew. And, if you're the praying sort, a quick prayer for him as well.)
Thank you for reading this far. May Matthew rest well, and may his memory bless us all.
