Top Tweets for #ToTalkIsToDo

🔔 Suicide awareness post 🔔 It’s been a decade today, this happened…. I was driving to Tesco when I noticed a man walking with his head down, looking visibly subdued. I didn’t think too much of it at the time. After finishing my shopping, I drove home. On the way, I saw the same man again but this time he wasn’t walking. He was sitting on the bridge above the A120, on the other side of the railings. I pulled over without hesitation. Instinct kicked in. I went over to him and started talking. He was panicked, overwhelmed, and intent on jumping. You could see the pain and fear in his eyes. I spoke to him about anything and everything just to distract him, just to keep him there. About 10 minutes passed, though it felt like an eternity. The police arrived, and by then a crowd had gathered, encouraging him to come back over the railings. He couldn’t. So I made a decision and climbed over to his side. That’s when he really began to open up. As he spoke, we managed to pin him against the railings and pull him back to safety. We both actually cried. He was only in his twenties. The reason he wanted to end his life was because he was gay. He didn’t know how to tell his family or his girlfriend. Having tried to take my own life at 17, this reinforced something I’ve learned deeply over the years: no matter what you’re facing, you have to talk. Someone will listen a family member, a friend, or even a stranger. This story has a happy ending. That man and I are still friends, and today he’s living openly and happily with his boyfriend. Please, don’t suffer in silence. Talking can save a life sometimes your own, sometimes someone else’s.