Some of you may have noticed my absence. Some of you may not. That’s OK.

In early April I agreed to seek inpatient treatment because my suicidal thoughts had become very detailed and I was having a hard time maintaining safety. I spent about 48 hours in the emergency room and then another eight days on a mental health unit.  A major medication change helped alleviate the suicidal thoughts, but I’m still struggling with severe depression.

I do not remember a time where I didn’t consider suicide. I first attempted when I was six years old. Yet for most of my life I hid these thoughts. I didn’t tell them to my parents or my therapist or my friends. I was deeply ashamed and thought it was something I had to deal with alone.

Naomi Judd’s death put suicide on the front page. It also hit me hard, knowing how close I’d recently come to being the same kind of statistic. I would not have been a big news story, but the impact of such a loss is great. I am loved by too many people to count.

I’m not afraid to talk about suicide today. Maybe we should talk about it more.

If you or a loved one is at risk of suicide, and you are in New Hampshire, call or text the Rapid Response Access Point at 1-833-710-6477. In other parts of the US, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-272-8255.