"Not my suicide note," people who attempted suicide detail struggles and why they're grateful

"...and this is not my suicide note."

September is suicide prevention month and to raise awareness, FOX 2 spotlighted three people who have attempted to take their own life. Each of them wrote a letter to themselves, detailing their struggles and why they're now grateful they are still alive.

Alyson Lamontagne:

"Dear Allie, I'm grateful you haven't given up yet. I know sometimes it's hard to be happy and it's hard to keep going. I think everyone should try to remind themselves that every hour that you keep breathing means you're doing something amazing."

"But something that helped me heal is reminding myself however frustrating it can be, I cannot control anyone else's thoughts, actions, feelings etc.. I can only control myself and what I choose to do with my own feelings, thoughts and actions."

April Meadows:

"My name is April and I am a grade-4 recovering addict and a survivor of human trafficking. At 22 years old my father passed away. That's when I was on a suicide mission and started taking pain pills, smoking crack cocaine and drinking to run from all of the pain I felt inside of me."

"I was in and out of treatment for several years. Finally in 2017, something clicked in me. I started to look at my life in a different light. Instead of 'why me' I was like 'why not me'? I allowed everything that I had been through to empower me and that I made it out alive."

Kemarian Thacker:

"You've been through a lot in your 20 years of life. You have dodged death more times than you can count. Left for dead, watched people close to you die firsthand, Broken heart and also attempted suicide are only the tip of the icebergs of the things that you've been through."

"Life has ups and downs. You gain friends who like you for you and happiness you didn't know existed. Keep your passage aside so you can look back on it for reference. Stay in the present, because you might miss something important. And look forward to the future. Anything is possible."

If you struggle with depression or thoughts of suicide, please call 1-800-273-8255.