justaoifethings

Cycle against suicide is an organisation to break the cycle of suicide. Note the very clever name. I've written about this awesome organisation before here . A group of cyclists led by Jim Breen cycle around Ireland, brining a message that it's ok not to be ok, and it's ok to ask for help. I have always been very vocal about mental health in my school, so when teachers approached me to write this speech, and cycle against suicide kindly allowed it, I was delighted to do so. ~ I, like one in three of you, if not even more, suffer from mental illness. I have a severe form of anxiety called GAD and have had depression so bad, that I was on the brink of suicide. And I know that sounds scary, but the point is that I'm still here. My mental health really started to go down the drain when I was in third year. As I'm sure the present third years know, the junior cert can be daunting. That, mixed with personal problems outside of school, triggered a mental breakdown....

An organisation set up by Jim Breen, where thousands of people cycle through Ireland every year, to break the cycle of suicide. Cleverly placed pun. Today, the lovely Mr Breen came to my school and talked to all seven hundred plus of us. In the back, wearing a disgustingly bright orange shirt in support (and feeling decidedly Dutch), I was struggling not to cry. Not that he was being morbid. He didn't delve into details of his depression, or any gruesome details of suicide. He spoke in such a way that was amazing. He spoke to us in a way that reached all levels of understanding in relation to mental health. He was able to educate those who have never experienced a mental monster, without boring them, or frightening them off the topic. Though, even with such sensitivity, he was able to touch those who had suffered mental illness. It was like a little nod to us. We knew we were understood, that he understood. For me, that is always extremely emotional. For someone to understa...