BRYAN, Texas —
The Brazos Valley's second annual suicide prevention conference welcomed hundreds of people across the Brazos Valley.
The event's main mission was to continue breaking barriers.
Speakers locally and from around the country joined together to talk about suicide, suicide prevention, and share their stories in hopes of inspiring and having an open dialogue about mental illness, with the strong reminder that it can happen to anyone.
Rachel Hoyle was one of the speakers in attendance.
She lost her brother to suicide in 2015 and now she does suicide research at Texas A&M, and volunteers for the crisis text line.
“We’re all so isolated in American culture. The biggest thing in my brother’s life, the thing that really set the stage and that was the catalyst for his completion of suicide was he felt like he didn’t have anyone, he wasn’t worth anything that he couldn’t reach out to anyone all that shame.”
While there were many important messages the conference hoped to spread, a main takeaway Rachel and others wanted individuals who may be struggling to know, was that talking about how you are feeling is crucial, and that you aren’t alone.
If you or anyone you know is experiencing thoughts of suicide, do not hesitate to find help. Texting HOME to 741741 will get you in contact with a trained crisis counselor.
Additionally, you can visit these websites for more information on how to get help.
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