#suicideispreventable

“Every mistake turned to some sort of yearning, a heart that was hollow has filled up with meaning...I wish you would listen, to get through it...” - The song “Wish” by the band Paper Route.

I remember the first time hearing Paper Route.  It was 2005.  I had just left college and was trying to manage a band and be a concert promoter.  I found the band Paper Route through mutual connections from college on myspace.  I saw them perform years later in St. Louis at the Firebird, a local concert venue. The song “Wish” and these lyrics, always resonated with me.  

“The memories of losing you.  You’re like a ghost…”  

I feel like I lost David Wise 11 years ago this November to mental illness. You’re like a ghost.  It’s difficult to reflect on my journey of recovery sometimes, and not try to block out all those moments of pain.  Some moments have been erased by many sessions of ECT (Electroconvulsive Therapy) and years of psychiatric medications.  But the darkest moments, the most hurtful words, still remain etched in my mind, burned there forever.  It’s difficult to realize you’re not the same person you were at 22, and that you did the best you could with the resources and skills you had.  Forgiveness for myself is the hardest thing in the world.  Loving others, showing grace and forgiveness to strangers is easy, but loving and forgiving David Wise is hard.  

#DaveWiseMatters was an idea that came out of having to tell myself that I matter, my story is important, and recovery, even for me was possible.  It wasn’t until very recently that I started to believe those things, and that it compelled me to want to share that message of hope and recovery with others through digital and social media and through writing.  I hope the words, “your story matters,” or, “recovery is possible,” resonate with you.  

In order to make this message more effective I’ve decided to launch a social media campaign of sharing recovery stories #SRS because #YourStoryMatters, #RecoveryIsPossible, and #SuicideIsPreventable.  My hope is to get at least 20 stories over the next 20 days starting with Saturday August 22, 2015 and storytelling through Thursday September 10, 2015 which is World Suicide Prevention Day #WSPD15  

You can share your story with me and others by submitting it here at: davewisematters.com/submit

You can also connect with me on Twitter:  @dmwise

Sharing people’s stories of recovery gives names, faces, and voices to many people who if they feel anything like me they feel marginalized, voiceless, powerless, and most of all alone.  A talented and successful musician tweeted me through a direct message tonight the words, “you aren’t alone...there is hope.”  His words need to be shared with you.  Your story matters.  You aren’t alone.  There is hope.  

Please join me in wishing for 20 Days of Recovery by sharing recovery stories on social media using the hashtags #SRS and #RecoveryIsPossible

For the last few years I’ve asked my friends to call me Dave.  It seems more light-hearted than David, not so serious, and perhaps, I want to forget David altogether.  He’s like a ghost, but I cannot forget him.  He is part of me. David’s story of years of suicide attempts and depression, matter as much as Dave Wise’s story of living in recovery.  

#DaveWiseMatters because #YourStoryMatters