September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and one Albuquerque teen is taking a creative approach to promoting mental health awareness. He founded a clothing company featuring designs meant to inspire people facing emotional struggles.
“I just started it because of my own struggles with mental health. Also because I see my friends go through struggles every single day,” Nithin Perumal told KRQE News.
Perumal is a high school student in Albuquerque. At 17, he created the “Warrior Within Project.” The clothing line aims to raise awareness of mental health and suicide.
Perumal started the company in March 2024 to create meaningful apparel that makes an impact and helps others.
“I wanted to specifically key in on men’s mental health because as a man I have been told to not cry. To tough it out,” Perumal said.
The Warrior Within Project’s website describes its apparel as “clothing with purpose” streetwear. The designs remind people they are not alone in the battles they do not always discuss.
“This brand is for the people fighting battles nobody sees. It is for the ones who keep showing up while carrying pressure, grief, anxiety, doubt, or pain. The goal is to turn clothing into a reminder, that strength can be quiet, healing takes courage, and nobody should have to carry everything alone,” a portion of the website reads.
The Message Behind the Designs
The teen created all of the designs himself, using messages such as “don’t give up.” He hopes these words inspire both those who wear them and those who see them. One of his goals is to encourage people to talk about their emotions.
“If you wear those messages you might be inspired, you might feel more confident and your mental health can improve,” Perumal said.
He runs the online only business from his parents’ home and hopes to open a store one day to sell his streetwear. He donates 15 percent of his profits to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Perumal said he wants his business to support an organization that works to prevent suicide
“Anything I can do to help someone else with their mental health, it just really brings me so much joy, even if it’s just one person, I know I’m helping one person,” said Perumal.
The State of Suicide in New Mexico
The New Mexico Department of Health said the state’s suicide rate dropped by 19 percent between 2024 and 2025.
NMDOH said the decrease may show the impact of years of suicide education, prevention initiatives, and heightened public awareness have paid off. Still, health officials warn that the improvement does not mean the crisis is over.
Suicide remains the ninth leading cause of death among New Mexicans in 2025. It was also the second leading cause of death among young people ages 12 to 17, according to NMDOH.
Most suicide deaths in 2025 involved a firearm, officials said.
The state’s health department data show that suicide prevention requires more than just mental health treatment. Lower suicide risk is also linked to social connections, higher education, and housing security.
