Importance of listening

I attempted suicide for the first time at 13, and again at 18. I grew up in an abusive household and went on to seek out abusive partners in my adult life. I kept to myself and was by all accounts the "life of the party", I had very risky behavior and abused substances from 16 years old on. I led a traumatic life and at 17 began a relationship with a very abusive older man. I got to the point that I just wanted to make the pain stop, but I was still not willing to reach out do to fear of repercussions and stigma. I made an attempt and fortunately a friend of mine found me in time and helped me. I began to open up to that friend and she then helped me find help from other sources. Being able to have just one person to talk to is what I believe helped me through that time. Just one person who really cared and was there to just let me talk, really saved my life and allowed me to make the changes I needed to improve my life. You don't need to be a professional to listen.