Suicide and drug overdose are major stigmas in our society today and are issues that need to be more openly talked about and addressed. People do not like to speak about painful or hard things in life. It is not often that you hear serious subjects such as depression; anxiety, drug addiction and overdose, and suicide come up in a day-to-day conversation. Just like anything else, when an issue is pushed under the carpet and overlooked, it becomes worse.
James the Mormon has contributed to overcoming this stigma through the making of his music video and song “Found a Friend,” featuring Junior Maile and the Genesis Choir. The music video is very powerful and portrays a young lady struggling with feelings of depression and loneliness, leading to thoughts of suicide. It ‘s hard, and I would go as far to say impossible, to understand what someone who is struggling with depression and suicide is feeling deep within unless you have been there yourself.
I have been there, and I think that is a big part of the reason why I love this song so much. Not only is it enjoyable to listen to, but it also has a big and important message that needs to be heard. Life is so precious and beautiful, yet so many people, including myself, find themselves in dark places where they feel lost and alone. It is in these dark moments where we feel the least like opening up to someone that we need to the most. We all need a friend. Tough times can become a canvas to create beauty.
According to www.save.org/facts suicide is the 10th leading cause of death. In the United States, there is one death by suicide every 12.3 
minutes. Why is there such a stigma about suicide if there are so many people struggling with it? I can’t help but wonder- if it was talked about more and if a safe environment was created for people feeling trapped by their own minds- maybe the number of people resorting to such a heart-breaking incident would decrease?
A little over a year ago someone that I was extremely close with ended his life. He reached the point where darkness consumed each thought and each breath he took. His loneliness and pain led him to the worst way out of his misery. Everyone who knew him now walks with a heavy heart. The loss of such a good person, friend, brother, son, grandson, nephew, and cousin was difficult to comprehend, and at times, to me, still seems unreal.
It is our duty as human beings to love those around us and help them out during the worst of times. There is beauty in life, there is beauty in heartache, and if we can be a friend to those in need and help them find the beauty of life, then we will have fulfilled a part of our purpose as humans.
One comment on James’ video reads as follows, “I’m sure this song speaks the mind of many people today, [and] you used music to bring about beauty out of hard times.”
This individual explains the message of his song so perfectly. Drug abuse, depression, and mental illnesses alike are real and affect almost every person at one point or another in their life. It is finding hope, and finding a friend during these hard times that will help guide us through the darkness to the light.
“You can move a mountain, catch the rain before it falls, keep on swimmin’ if you’re drownin’, you can do, anything at all.”
