Victoria Hecnar

You are strong for handling all of this, and I am so glad that you’re still here. I know life can feel stressful and overwhelming at times, and sometimes it feels like there’s no way out. But you deserve to live a life full of success and happiness, and it is possible, even though it may not seem like it right now. Think about all of the progress you’ve already made and how far you have come. . . don’t give up now! Just remember that you are never alone. There are many trained individuals across campus and in the community that are there to listen and to help you. We want you here!

Sometimes hard things like reaching out for support can actually be the stepping stones to a better life. At first it may seem scary and make you feel vulnerable to reach out to someone, but there are many trained individuals across campus and in the community that are here for you. Support is available, and there will always be someone to listen to you, make you feel heard and respected, and give you the tools you need to overcome any obstacles that you may face. Taking the first step can be difficult, but you have dealt with other difficult things before, so you can tackle this one too!

Suicide prevention matters to me because I know that the loss of a life is devastating. I have had firsthand experience with suicide loss, and I know how much losing a friend or family member can tear someone apart. We need to be there as a community for those who are hurting, so they don’t feel so alone in trying to cope with everything themselves. Every person should have the right to live a happy and healthy life, and connecting those who are hurting with support is the first step in helping a person to achieve that. Everyone deserves to be heard, and to feel loved and cared for. The more suicide is talked about and understood, the more awareness there will be, which in turn will lead to more connection, more care, and more support for those who need it.

There are a few favourite coping strategies that I have. One is to spend time with my pets and to cuddle with them. Animals are non-judgemental and incredibly loving. It’s been proven that petting an animal reduces stress levels, so it makes sense! I also love to write. Getting my thoughts down on paper—whether that be through a poem, a short story, or even just a journal entry—is helpful to identify my emotions and allows me to cope with any uncomfortable thoughts that I may be experiencing. I also find confiding in someone you trust to be a good coping mechanism. Talking with someone—either for advice or just to have someone sit and listen to you—is really therapeutic, as sometimes bottling everything up inside makes you feel worse. Another coping strategy I have is to take a nap. It doesn’t have to be long, even twenty to thirty minutes can help! If I’m dealing with a lot of stress and find myself starting to slow down during the day, a quick nap can help reset my mood and keep my head clear so I can go about the rest of my day feeling refreshed.

When things get tough, there are three things that I try to remember. One: there are so many people that love me and would miss me terribly if I weren’t here anymore. I not only want to get better for me, but also for them, because I want to be able to give them that same love back. Two: thinking about all of the amazing things that I have done and had the chance to experience, and how many more great experiences are still out there that I haven’t lived yet. I think about all of the happy memories that are still yet to come, and that gets me excited about the future! And three: thinking about how far I’ve come already, and looking at all of the progress I’ve made. I surprise myself sometimes when I look back at all that I’ve been able to do, even with a mental health illness. I think to myself, “if I can do all of that even with OCD and depression, then I can do anything!”