Jeff Romig - Dont F*cking Kill Yourself: A Memoir of Suicide, Survival, and Stories That Keep Us Alive

This book is dedicated to the storytellers who have influenced
and inspired me. DFKY wouldnt exist without each of you.

Aaron S.

Aja A.

Alan R.

Alexis S.

Anthony B.

Bo B.

Chris W.

Hayley W.

James B.

John L.

Jonathan L.

Lane M.

Lin-Manuel M.

Mike B.

Natalie C.

Odette Y.

Rachel W., Susan L., and the teens of VOX Teen Communications

Ron M.

Susan H.

Vera and Clyde R.

In memory of those lost to suicide

Steven William Romig

November 4, 1948February 24, 1996

A crowd-funding campaign was held in early 2021 to raise
money to publish this book. Each donor was invited to share
a name or initials of a loved one lost to suicide. These are
their people, and a few more whose lives impacted me. They
all left us far too soon. Rest in peace to each of them.

Anthony Bourdain

Bill Davidson

Chantal Akerman

Chris Cornell

Cliff Vaughn

DW

Dale Bertrand

Dan Williams

Davis Beasley

GK, JH, & JW

Hank Tanner

J. D. Blagg

Jean Seberg

Jeremy Reynolds

John Hendricks

Johnathan

Julia Keller

Kenny McKinley

Kristin Foss

Kurt Cobain

Marti Schimmel

Matt Rog

Michael Ferguson

Michelle Ferguson Priestly

Michael Garrot

Dr. Michael E. King

RWL

Randy Seals

Robin Williams

S

Solomon Chase

Terri Mahoney

Tierra Spruill

Tim Cunningham

A percentage of DFKYs proceeds will go to support Suicide Survival Stories, a nonprofit designed to create suicide-related conversation to help struggling humans stay alive, and keep those who died alive through storytelling. Learn more at www.suicidesurvivalstories.org.

Additional Suicide Awareness
and Prevention Resources

The Giving Kitchen partners with the QPR Institute to provide free training to food service workers nationwide. QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Referthree steps anyone can learn to prevent suicide. Read more about QPR at www.qprinstitute
.com, and about The Giving Kitchen at www.thegivingkitchen.org. If youre a restaurant worker, you can take the 45-minute course for FREE online at www.thegivingkitchen.org/qpr.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) gives those affected by suicide a nationwide community empowered by research, education, and advocacy to take action against this leading cause of death. Visit www.afsp.org/suicide-prevention-resources for emergency resources, crisis services, and mental health care information.

Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7, high-quality text-based mental health support and crisis intervention by empowering a community of trained volunteers to support people in their moments of need. Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor or visit www.crisistextline.org for more information or to volunteer to become a trained crisis counselor.

RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) is the nations largest anti-sexual violence organization. Visit hotline.rainn.org
/online to chat online with a trained staff member who can provide you with confidential crisis support. You can also visit volopps
.rainn.org to find volunteer opportunities at a RAINNPartner Crisis Center in your area.

The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) young people under the age of 25. For immediate support, please call the TrevorLifeline at 1-866-488-7386 or select TrevorChat at www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help-now/ to connect with a counselor.

Dont
F*cking
Kill
Yourself

A Memoir of Suicide, Survival,
and Stories That Keep Us Alive

Jeff Romig

The information presented herein represents the views of the author as of the date of publication. This book is presented for informational purposes only. Due to the rate at which conditions change, the author reserves the right to alter and update his opinions based on new conditions. While every attempt has been made to verify the information in this book, neither the author nor his affiliates/partners assume any responsibility for errors, inaccuracies, or omissions.

Copyright 2021 Jeff Romig

All rights reserved. Reprinting or reusing any or all parts of this book is permitted and encouraged, but only with the written consent of the author.

Dont F*cking Kill Yourself

A Memoir of Suicide, Survival, and Stories That Keep Us Alive

isbnpaperback: 978-1-5445-2365-1

ebook: 978-1-5445-2364-4

Contents

Additional Suicide Awareness
and Prevention Resources

Advance Praise

Jeff somehow manages to blend his searing account of mental illness with a captivating tour of Georgia history through his lens, giving his grateful readers astonishing insight into the worlds of journalism, sports, and politics. The triumphs and hardships are just part of the journey, and Jeffs unflinching writing style and snappy prose left me wanting more.

Greg Bluestein, author of
Flipped: How the Peach State Turned Purple

Through his book, Jeff shows us that grief is our most powerful pathway to finding purpose in our lives. His honest reflection of his own loss and struggles reminds us that life is always a journey, and in that journey lies opportunities, experiences, and emotionssome we seek and some we do not. By sharing his own grief so candidly, Jeff has ensured every reader will find a piece in this book to connect to. And never before in our lifetimes has that particular connection and community been so important.

Kate Atwood, Founder of Kates Club, author of A Healing Place

In DFKY , Romig examines his fathers suicide and, in the process, shatters the illusion of isolation that his own depression conjured. Romig finds hope and sustenance in his stories and encourages others to do the same in an effort to beat back the specter of suicide.

Mijha Godfrey, Co-Founder of Jambo Books
(www.jambobooks.com)

February 23, 1996

I tried to watch The Big Chill when I was 18, but I fell asleep before Marvin Gaye finished singing I Heard It Through the Grapevine, minutes into the movie.

At 36, I would finally watch the entire film, but not without thinking about this Friday night in 1996, when I chose it as my escape from the world, instead of a more familiar flick.

Sometimes these things choose us.

My parents had bought that VHS tape years before, but Id never been interested in it. It simply filled a slot on the shelf, alongside worn favorites of mine like The Outsiders , Top Gun , and Ferris Buellers Day Off . For my parents, the story was a moment frozen in time, evoking their younger years through melancholy and music. I didnt know the plot, nor did I take the time to learn more from the back of its sleeve.

Id begun the evening at Spring Valley High School, working to wrap up the current issue of The Viking Shield . As on most Fridays, Id made no plans. Once I left my high school newspaper colleagues, I would simply hide in my bedroom from everyone and everything.

I deeply wanted my life to change.

Id turned 18 on February 7. Now, technically an adult, I mistakenly believed I was ready for anything. In three months, Id graduate and finally leave Columbia, SC, on my way to collegesix hours west at The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, I hoped.