How long will you carry it all alone?
When anxiety becomes too heavy, and even when the suffering is not visible, asking for help can be the first step toward finding hope within yourself again.
Imagine you are in a crowded soccer stadium with one of your closest friends. Everyone is screaming, celebrating, and supporting their team. You look at your friend and see him smiling, laughing, and enjoying the moment just like everyone else. From the outside, everything seems completely fine. Although what if, behind that smile, he is carrying something you cannot see? What if the person who always seems the happiest, is silently struggling with anxiety, hopelessness, or even suicidal thoughts?
The truth is, we cannot always see when someone is struggling. And that is exactly why September matters. In Brazil, Setembro Amarelo is a campaign dedicated to suicide prevention and mental health awarness. It reminds us that suffering is not always visible and that sometimes the people who seem completely okay are the ones who most need someone beside them. This month is not only about remembering those who have already lost their lives; it is also about noticing, supporting, and giving hope to those who are still here.
But why yellow? The story behind the color began in the United States with a 17-years-old named Mike Emme. Mike was known by his friends and family as a caring, funny, and helpful person, especially because of his passion for fixing cats. His favorite was a 1968 Ford Mustang that he restored and painted bright yellow, earning him the nickname “Mustang Mike”. However, just like the friend imagined in the stadium, the person everyone saw on the outside was not necessarily everything Mike was experiencing inside. In September 1994, Mike died by suicide, leaving his family and friends devastated. At his funeral, they distributed cards decorated with a yellow ribbon carrying a simple message: if you need help, ask for it. The idea quickly spread, eventually becoming the Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevension Program. Years later, September 10th became World Suicide Prevention Day, and in Brazil, organizations including the Centro de Valorização daVida (CVV) and the Brazilian Association of Psychiatry (ABP) helped bring this message into what we now know as Setembro Amarelo. The yellow ribbon, therefore, represents much more than awareness; it represents the possibility of asking for help before suffering becomes something a person believes they have to go through alone.
Fame, success, and laughter do not make someone immune to suffering. In 2009 the movie World’s Greatest Dad, Robin William–playing the character Lance Clayton–says, “Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problems.” Five years later, William himself died by suicide. For millions of people, he was the face of laughter, known for movies such as Dead Poets Society, Jumanji, and Mrs. Doubtfire. Yet, what audiences saw on screen could never represent everything he was experiencing in his personal life. After his death, it was discovered that William had been living with an undiagnosed neurological disease called Lewy body dementia, in addition to experiencing anxiety and other serious symptoms. His story reminds us of one the most important messages behind Setembro Amarelo: we should never assume that happiness, success, or even laughter means that someone is not struggling. Awareness begins when we look beyond what appears on the outside and create a space where asking for help does not have to feel like a weakness.
Religion can also affect the way people think about suicide. One common belief is that someone who dies by suicide with automatically go to hell because they no longer have the chance to repent. However, the Bible never explicitly says that suicide is an unforgivable sin. Although Christianity teaches that taking your own lifegoes against the belief of God, it also teaches that suicide is not greater than God’s forgiveness. This connects to one of the purposes of Setembro Amarelo, reducing the stigma around suicide and making it easier for people to talk about what they are going through. In spite of using faith to judge someone who is struggling, it can become a source of hope and remind us that asking for help is still possible.
So, how long will you carry it all alone? The person smiling beside you in a stadium, the friend who always makes everyone laugh, or even someone who seems to have a perfect life may be fighting a battle you know nothing about. Setembro Amarelo reminds us that we do not need to wait until someone’s pain becomes visible to care. Sometimes, a conversation, a moment of support, or simply asking for help can be the beginning of hope. Behind every yellow ribbon is a simple notice that no one should struggle alone.
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