AKRON, Ohio — Kiara White walked to a location that she said means a lot to her.
“We are on the Memorial Parkway bridge,” White said.
What You Need To Know
- September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
- Kiara White opened up about her attempts to end her life
- She said she shares her journey on social media to help others
A few years ago, White said she tried to jump off of the bridge and end her life.
“It’s surreal to think that a few years ago I was here trying to end my life. Now, I’m just a completely different person,” White said.
White said she wanted to come here because it now brings her peace, but that wasn’t the case back in 2019.
“I couldn’t see myself, like, going on,” White said.
White said she struggled with mental health since childhood and attempted to end her life three times. White said she’s sharing her story now, during Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, to urge others to get the help they need.
“My tattoos are, um, the dates are like seven years apart because it was seven years of me battling suicidal ideation and having some attempts in there,” White said. “I just knew I couldn’t do it any more. I got a therapist, got a diagnosis as well and started medication with a psychiatrist.”
Using yoga and art as outlets, White said she hasn’t tried to take her own life since 2019. She said she shares on social media what has helped her on her healing journey.
“If I knew I was going through it silently, without people knowing, somebody else was also going through it,” White said.
Her vulnerability is something her mom, Stephanie White, said makes her proud.
“When she first was talking about it, I was like, you know, me thinking, ‘Everybody don’t care. You don’t want to put it out there.’ But there was a point when she did say, ‘Mom, people are responding.’ I went on her Instagram and was reading the responses and all the encouraging words, and it actually brought tears to my eyes,” Stephanie White said.
As White celebrates her birthday, and another year of life, on the last day of Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, she said she promises to continue sharing both her ups and her downs with the goal of helping others.
“I just always wanted to share so that people would know, like, it is possible. Like, trust me, if I can get through it, you could get through it,” White said. “I’ll be here for you if you need someone while you’re getting through it.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. You can also dial 988.
