(Jared Padalecki/Twitter)
Stars are raising awareness about World Suicide Prevention Day on Saturday. See celebrity tweets below.
World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) is held every year on September 10. On this date, activists and survivors come together to express support for those in need, discourage the stigma around mental illness, and provide resources such as hotlines. The World Health Organization, International Association for Suicide Prevention and World Federation for Mental Health join forces each year for the initiative.
The theme for 2016 is “Connect. Communicate. Care.” And celebs on social media are doing just that. “Sending prayers and love to those struggling and to those who have lost a loved one. #WorldSuicidePreventionDay,” tweeted LeAnn Rimes. Jared Padalecki, who opened up about his battle with depression last year, shared the above photo, and wrote, “Another day is on the way, and YOU deserve to see it! @TWLOHA @jamietworkowski #IKeptLiving #WorldSuicidePrevention.”
Alyssa Milano remembered a late friend, writing, “I miss you, Bret. The world was a better place with you in it. #WorldSuicidePreventionDay.” Tom Arnold, who recently wrote an op-ed about gun control, retweeted an essay about the danger of having access to guns while struggling with mental illnesses, such as bipolar disorder. And Gal Gadot shared a picture of a semi-colon, telling followers, “A #semicolon is used when a sentence could have ended, but wasn’t #SuicidePreventionDay.”
“Sincerely hoping everyone is staying safe today and always. Please reach out if u need help #suicideawareness #SuicidePreventionDay,” said Anna Paquin. Miley Cyrus posted on Instagram, “On National Suicide Prevention Awareness Day @phantogram and I are here to say we want you to know that you’re not alone. We’ve all had dark times, but we can get through them together. It’s brave to ask for help. Go to HappyHippies.org for a list of places you can contact if you or someone you love dearly needs help now. @trevorproject @itgetsbetter @crisistextline @800273TALK @happyhippiefdn #nationalsuicidepreventionawarenessday #reachout #selfcare #savelgbtqlives #lifeline #happyhippieXphantogram.”
The most intimate post came from Christina Perri, who tweeted, “here’s my story. what’s yours? #WSPD16 #IKeptLiving.” Accompanying the message was a type-written note about contemplating suicide at 13 years old, and how she “kept living.” See below.
