A Local Author Reflects On Life Experiences In Best Selling Book | 2022
If you didn’t know, September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, suicide is the second leading cause of death for people between the ages 10-14, and the third leading most cause of death for people between the ages of 15-24 in the United States. Makaila Nichols is not only a local author, speaker, and podcaster, she’s also an entrepreneur.
Nichols also founded the Blatantly Honest Foundation to eliminate the status quo that has become associated with mental illness. Makaila is the author of the bestselling book “Blatantly Honest: Normal Teen, Abnormal Life”. She penned the book just 6 years ago in 2016. Her book accounts her struggles with bullying and mental illness. She has said that her darkest moments came when she was between the ages of 14 and 16 years old.
This Local Author Is Advocating For Suicide Prevention
At one point Makaila found herself in one of her darkest places. She did not want to live on this Earth any longer. Makaila was confronted with two possible options; he had to decide. Thankfully she chose to share her story with the rest of the world, in hopes that her story would help others experiencing similar hardships.
“One life lost to suicide is too many. I’ve worked with a lot of parents who’ve unfortunately lost their child to suicide at such a young age, and it breaks my heart. I think every story is important because their life is important.” – Makaila Nichols, Local Author
The Blatantly Honest Foundation Encourages Students To Seek Help For Suicide Prevention
The Blatantly Honest Foundation provides resources to schools throughout Central Florida. Resources include Nichols’ book and anti-bullying coloring books. Nichols also visits schools regularly and shares her story in an attempt to encourage students to seek help.
Most people struggle with the admittance of personal issues. Humans generally feel uncomfortable discussing their underlying problems or even admitting they are suffering from them. We live in an age where social media and the internet seem to make everyone else’s life look perfect except for ours. It’s not.
“I myself was afraid to ask for help. It’s a scary thing. It’s not easy. I can sit here and be like own yourself, love yourself, but that’s not always easy. It’s really, find someone you trust and talk to them. If you’re too scared to ask for help, maybe they can get you the help you need.” – Makaila Nichols
If you or someone you know is suffering from bullying or struggling with depression and thoughts of suicide, reach out to the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling 988 or by visiting their website here.
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