A West Lothian family have urged other young people to speak out about their mental health as they face their first Christmas without their daughter.
Eight months on from when the 17-year-old took her own life, loved ones of Megan Reid, from Livingston, have shared how a “huge gap” remains in all of their lives.
Passing away in April, the “bright and bubbly” teenager had suffered years of historic sexual abuse by her father, and had finally told her mum, Gemma, in 2018.
READ MORE: West Lothian mum spends first Christmas without son after noticing stillbirth symptom
Despite her father being convicted for his crimes and jailed in 2019, Gemma shared earlier in the year that Megan had still been left “crushed and broken” as a result.
Leaving her family heartbroken, Megan’s auntie, Sam Reid, told Edinburgh Live that this time of year has become incredibly difficult.
She said: “Christmas is one of those things that should be lovely but there’s a big Megan-shaped hole that’s there. She should be texting me and ringing me about all the things she wants for this year but she’s not.
“We know far too many people who have lost someone to suicide, it happens all the time and far too often.
“For families like us there’s a huge gap now, it’s not what’s under the tree it’s who's around it.
“If you have experienced suicide it’s hard to understand it, life doesn’t get easier with time, you just have to work around the grief.
“People think at this point you should be moving on but until suicide is no longer a thing, we shouldn’t stop talking about it.”
Although Christmas time for many is filled with happy memories, Sam stated that for others, the festive season can be extremely tough, with thousands across the country experiencing loneliness and suffering with their mental health.
Desperate to ensure other teens and young people don’t suffer in silence as Megan did, she urged them to share how they are truly feeling, and seek help.
She added: “I think Christmas is a lovely time, but the expectations of it are so high, and that it should be so magical and this one day will fix everything but in turn, it leads to isolation and disappointment.
“For younger people especially, with things like the cost of living crisis this year there is still an expectation to have all of the latest everything which honestly costs thousands, and if they can’t keep up it’s a lot of pressure to be good enough.
“It’s okay to let that facade slip, to reach out and say I’m not okay and I need some support.
“They should know they don’t have to pretend, they can get rid of the fake stuff and be honest. There are always a million reasons to stay, it could be something as small as seeing the snow fall for the first time next year, just reach out and speak to someone, even over email or text if you can’t in person. Just make sure someone else knows how you’re feeling.
If you are looking for help and support, you can find more information here.
Alternatively, you can contact the Samaritan’s helpline 24/7 on 116 123.
READ NEXT:
Edinburgh mum finds incredible 135-year-old message in a bottle under her floorboards
Seven awful things we remember about Edinburgh buses in the 80s and 90s
Nine Edinburgh places that made for a great day out for kids in the '90s
Lost sweets Edinburgh locals would love to see return to supermarket shelves
Incredible colour footage captures Edinburgh life in the 1950s
