A.C. Brooke

Giving Hope A Face

In honor of National Suicide Prevention Month, I wanted to repost a story I did back in September of 2023 during my time at Lancaster EMS. One of our drivers, Jeremy, took the digital floor to speak candidly about being a survivor of childhood abuse and his struggles with mental health, which culminated in an attempt to take his own life late one winter night.

Put succinctly by the CDC, “Males make up 50% of the population but nearly 80% of suicides.” A big contributor to this, we know, is the way men are socialized: keep pain in and vulnerability out. In his interview, Jeremy acknowledged this dynamic explicitly, expressing his fear others would perceive him as ‘weak’ if he sought help.

I’m always an advocate for the power of storytelling, but in contexts like this, even more so. Repeating affirmations and reciting data is impactful in its own right, but when shame is (or one of) the biggest player(s), that’s when real stories from real people matter most. It challenges stereotypes, fuels healing and serves as proof that the experiences we fear make us ‘defective’ are actually—when shared—what unites us the most. Hope is so much more effective when it has a familiar face.

At the end of the article, you can find links to MaleSurvivor.org, HelpGuide.org and 1in6.org. (Coincidentally, Dr. Jim Hopper—featured in and a consultant for Paper Birds—is a founding board member of the latter, something I found out way after this piece was written!)

A big shoutout to Jeremy for choosing to step up and share his journey for all of the world to see. He did so with strength, sincerity, and empathy, and I have no doubt that made an impact on readers.