Beacon For Hope For Suicide Prevention held its annual Hope Links Us Together walk Saturday, and the theme of the featured speaker was simple: accepting yourself as you are can bring you back from the brink.
Ryan Sullivan says Beacon For Hope Director Melissa Kurtenbach reached out to him to speak. Sullivan admits suffering from bipolar disorder and attempting suicide.
Sullivan says he eventually accepted who he was, and that was the start of significant changes in his life. He resumed therapy sessions and restarted medications as part of a proactive mindset, and he says he had positive results right away. When he started his blog, he was nervous about the response to it but he says all the feedback has been positive. He thanked local residents for their support and willingness to tackle such a difficult topic.
Beacon For Hope also marked Suicide Prevention Week with a candlelight vigil Thursday. Its next big event is the Unmasking Suicide Masquerade Ball on Oct. 20.
