Having travelled the roller-coaster of suicide attempts and lived to tell the story, I am more than familiar with the darker shades of grey – you may know them as depression.

Unfortunately, there are many more who did not make it, with suicide being the leading cause of death for Aussies under the age of 44.

The reason I bring this dark statistic to your attention, is because Monday the 10th marks International Suicide Prevention Day.

As a survivor and advocate for Lifeline, I will be taking part in the Out Of The Shadows And Into The Light walk this Sunday (9th September), to raise money for support services for the mentally ill.

Depression hides behind closed doors and speaks to no one; it fears being discovered because that may mean an intervention is in order.

It likes to be in control of its occupant and steer the direction of emotion into a downward spiral that hangs like a dark grey cloud over your head and heart.

It is this dark state that triggers the suicidal thoughts.

How then, do we leave that dungeon of darkness?

As I share in my first book The Upside Of Down: A personal journey and toolkit for overcoming depression, it wasn’t until I made the conscious decision to do whatever it took to beat the illness, that it became possible.

The first step in emerging from the dark, involves accepting there is a problem.

The second step is making the commitment to oneself, to ask for help in getting better.

When you work with the subconscious mind, as I do with the clients I help overcome depression, you pull the illness out at its roots, so it can’t come back.

No more dreary moods, no more mind-numbing medication.

Know, that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.

If you’d like to overcome depression start with my book The Upside of Down and get in touch to arrange a chat on how I can help you overcome the black dog for good.

You can email me at: tamra@gettingnaked.com.au