I Love You So Much It Hurts

Tanner Grandstaff

10th Grade

Orange Coast College

“I Love You So Much It Hurts” is a minute-long PSA for suicide prevention. This short PSA is a love letter from a concerned young man to his friend who is suffering from depression and suicidal thoughts. August, is fighting, or in this case running, hard to get through to his best friend, Ben who suffers from depression and thoughts of suicide. When August finally reaches Ben, the two friends embrace in a powerful and intimate hug. Something as simple as this hug can go a long way for someone who is feeling alone and isolated at a young age.

I was inspired to share this story because I went through the same thing with a best friend recently. My best friend struggles with depression and suicide but continues to seek help with resources like therapy and medication. When those things aren’t enough he trusts some of his closest friends enough to open up and talk to us about what he’s going through. He also stays very busy doing the things he loves most like make music and practice photography.

Depression and thoughts of suicide effect so many young people in our community and I hope that by sharing this short story that there’s some more awareness that comes from it. This subject is really hard to talk about but it doesn’t have to be and I want to help inspire that change.