Live Through This

Live Through This is a collection of portraits and stories of suicide attempt survivors, as told by those survivors. 

“Suicide” is a dirty word in this country. It’s a sin. It’s taboo. It’s selfish. It's not an easy topic to discuss and because we, as a culture, don't know how to approach it, it's easily swept under a rug. The problem is that suicide is a pervasive public health issue (the 10th leading cause of death in the US). I get it: we’re afraid of death. But avoiding it and pretending it doesn’t exist is nothing more than willfully perpetuating ignorance.

The intention of Live Through This is to show that everyone is susceptible to depression and suicidal thoughts by sharing portraits and stories of real attempt survivors—people who look just like you. These feelings could affect your mom, your partner, or your brother, and the fear of talking about it can be a killer. 

Historically, suicide attempt survivors, in particular, have spoken under conditions of anonymity in order to save them from being discriminated against. The silence and shame created in that act are dangerous. Live Through Thisencourages survivors to own their experiences publicly—using both their full names and likenesses—and thereby works to strip the issue of anonymity and raise awareness by, simply, talking about it. It's the first known project of its kind, exploring a world that has remained a taboo for far too long.