This is a screenshot of two words that appeared next to each other in a word cloud graphic on my crisis counselor dashboard. The graphic shows some of the most common words that have popped up in my conversations with texters.
Everything hurt.
I know it was a random computer generation that put these words together, but it struck me as being particularly poignant and poetic.
Everything hurt.
I thought of the hundreds of conversations I’ve had, and how most of them could be summed up in those two words.
Everything hurt. Everything hurts.
The feelings of being overwhelmed. Of every bone in your body aching. Of every spark of your soul falling falling falling. Wondering if things will ever get better, if anything could ease the pain, if there’s any way out of the breaking.
Everything hurt. Everything hurts. Will everything keep hurting?
And if that’s you. If that’s you. If everything hurts.
Healing has come for you. It’s already off the airplane, out of the taxi, at your door, knocking, calling your name.
Will you answer it?
Will you talk to a friend? Will you talk to a counselor? Will you go for a run or ask a doctor about medicine or text a helpline*?
You can be healed. You can be put back together. You are not hopeless. You are not alone.
*Crisis Text Line: Just text “Hello” to 741-741 to start a conversation with a crisis counselor.