National Suicide Prevention Month
September is Suicide Prevention Month, this week is National Suicide Prevention Week, and September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day. Given the personal experiences that led to Strangeland’s creation, and the themes the game explores, we thought it appropriate to post something about suicide prevention.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline explains that “individuals are more likely to feel less depressed, less suicidal, less overwhelmed, and more hopeful after speaking to someone who listens without judgment.” Each of us has an internal voice that sits in harsh judgment; for some of us, that voice is louder; for some of us, it is so loud that it is the only internal voice we ever hear. And when fear of judgment stops us from speaking with others, then that harsh spirit inside is also the only one listening. It becomes easy to get trapped in an internal conversation of cruel self-judgment. Strangeland is the story of a protagonist caught in that trap. As the NSPL explains, one way we can help others find their way out is to provide a sympathetic ear and an open heart. We can offer a light to those lost in that darkness simply by “ask[ing] after them in a caring way.”
If there is a single message we hope reaches Strangeland’s players it is that, even if we don’t know it, the light of love is shining on us from many directions, though it is sometimes hard to see, and that—simultaneously—even in our darkest hours, we are a light of love shining on others. Each of us is a person worthy of love, whose love is worthwhile to others. But those of us who most need to hear that are those who hear it least often. And, too often, we don’t hear them, either.
According to the American Association of Suicidology, suicide steals away tens of thousand of people a year, with no demographic spared, though its toll is worst among older men. The pain radiates out through a web of connections—connections that might have seemed invisible to one lost in despair, but which were there all the same. And beyond those lost to suicide, or who lose another to suicide, are the many who are afflicted by it in other ways, by attempting or merely imagining the possibility of suicide. The AAS indicates that more than 1 in 20 people may suffer from suicidal ideations each year. This means it is very probable that all of us know someone who is suffering, likely silently and secretly, from this agony.
It is a truism that the internet and video games can bring out the worst in people. But truisms aren’t the same thing as truth, and this one is at best a partial and distorted view. The other part is that the internet and games are also the means by which communities and relationships form. I have gained deep, lasting friendships through making, playing, and discussing games online, and have received many kindnesses and much love through these media. The intensely meaningful, positive, and often personal feelings that so many have shared with us about Primordia and Strangeland have been a light when things seem dark, and a balm for lifelong wounds that never fully heal.
This month should serve as a reminder of the opportunities we have to show love and kindness to others—whether at the bus stop or on Steam, whether in our households or on Twitter. Every one of us has great capacity to lift up and comfort our fellow human beings, and they in turn hold a wealth of happiness for us. We won’t always know when a small gesture, a kind word, a sympathetic ear, or just a friendly smile will have an outsized effect on someone in pain and in need. To err on the side of kindness is no error at all.
Finally, if you are suffering from suicidal thoughts, please remember that you are a light to many, and you are worthy of love and life. There are free resources that can help, and there is only strength, not shame, in seeking out such assistance. The resources below are based in the United States, but wherever you live, there are those who can help.
With love,
Mark, James, and Victor
Wormwood Studios
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1 (800) 273-8255 [1-800-273-TALK]
https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
American Foundation for the Prevention of Suicide
https://afsp.org/suicide-prevention-resources
Suicide Awareness Voice of Education (SAVE)
https://save.org/
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline explains that “individuals are more likely to feel less depressed, less suicidal, less overwhelmed, and more hopeful after speaking to someone who listens without judgment.” Each of us has an internal voice that sits in harsh judgment; for some of us, that voice is louder; for some of us, it is so loud that it is the only internal voice we ever hear. And when fear of judgment stops us from speaking with others, then that harsh spirit inside is also the only one listening. It becomes easy to get trapped in an internal conversation of cruel self-judgment. Strangeland is the story of a protagonist caught in that trap. As the NSPL explains, one way we can help others find their way out is to provide a sympathetic ear and an open heart. We can offer a light to those lost in that darkness simply by “ask[ing] after them in a caring way.”
If there is a single message we hope reaches Strangeland’s players it is that, even if we don’t know it, the light of love is shining on us from many directions, though it is sometimes hard to see, and that—simultaneously—even in our darkest hours, we are a light of love shining on others. Each of us is a person worthy of love, whose love is worthwhile to others. But those of us who most need to hear that are those who hear it least often. And, too often, we don’t hear them, either.
According to the American Association of Suicidology, suicide steals away tens of thousand of people a year, with no demographic spared, though its toll is worst among older men. The pain radiates out through a web of connections—connections that might have seemed invisible to one lost in despair, but which were there all the same. And beyond those lost to suicide, or who lose another to suicide, are the many who are afflicted by it in other ways, by attempting or merely imagining the possibility of suicide. The AAS indicates that more than 1 in 20 people may suffer from suicidal ideations each year. This means it is very probable that all of us know someone who is suffering, likely silently and secretly, from this agony.
It is a truism that the internet and video games can bring out the worst in people. But truisms aren’t the same thing as truth, and this one is at best a partial and distorted view. The other part is that the internet and games are also the means by which communities and relationships form. I have gained deep, lasting friendships through making, playing, and discussing games online, and have received many kindnesses and much love through these media. The intensely meaningful, positive, and often personal feelings that so many have shared with us about Primordia and Strangeland have been a light when things seem dark, and a balm for lifelong wounds that never fully heal.
This month should serve as a reminder of the opportunities we have to show love and kindness to others—whether at the bus stop or on Steam, whether in our households or on Twitter. Every one of us has great capacity to lift up and comfort our fellow human beings, and they in turn hold a wealth of happiness for us. We won’t always know when a small gesture, a kind word, a sympathetic ear, or just a friendly smile will have an outsized effect on someone in pain and in need. To err on the side of kindness is no error at all.
Finally, if you are suffering from suicidal thoughts, please remember that you are a light to many, and you are worthy of love and life. There are free resources that can help, and there is only strength, not shame, in seeking out such assistance. The resources below are based in the United States, but wherever you live, there are those who can help.
With love,
Mark, James, and Victor
Wormwood Studios
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1 (800) 273-8255 [1-800-273-TALK]
https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
American Foundation for the Prevention of Suicide
https://afsp.org/suicide-prevention-resources
Suicide Awareness Voice of Education (SAVE)
https://save.org/
