Someone close to me recently attempted suicide. Here is the letter I wrote to them following this. And I’d like to write to you, and anyone who may be feeling low right now.

Hey, I know you're feeling crap on so many levels right now.

You're feeling like a failure; a burden on everyone, you're embarrassed, you feel like you've let everyone down, you feel worthless, frustrated, isolated, sad, alone, angry, and deflated, all at once.

Which are all feelings you have and feelings that need to be validated as your feelings.

What I'm here to say is to your friends, your true friends, the ones that move mountains to help you, don't care about how you perceive you let them down or failed them, what they care about is that you're still here, you're still with us, they all want you in their world, you give it a perspective that is yours, they want you.

While you have a long road ahead to return you to the person you desire to be, don't sweat the bumps and potholes along the way, they are an unfortunate requirement of any journey.

And they are massive when you're looking to get past them right now, I can say clearly, with hindsight, they're far smaller than you perceive from where you are.

How you perceive the world is your perception, we can't change that, but what we can do is be there to help you on your journey, to help with that perspective, to check in on the reality knowing that your brain right now has a tendency to betray you in the worst possible way.

I've been here buddy, I get it better than most, I haven't quite got to the point of wanting to end it, but I understand how you might feel that way. I've had all of the rest too.

I want you to know, we, your team, are here for you, some of us understand it intimately, some don't, some will be kind, some will want to kick your arse, understand it all comes from the same place, love and care for another human being, one we all value and support.

So please, don't hide, don't go silent, reach out, call; one of us may not be available, but others will be.

I would like to know for the moment, until you are safe, that you have someone with you.

Rest my friend, recover, recuperate. You're worth it and you're cared about by many. You add to this challenging screwed up world, and you have your family who need you and your guidance through life.

Rest, talk more when you can.

*image credit, found somewhere on pinterest unable to credit original poster...