I saw a Psychic Witness episode a few weeks ago on the Discovery Channel about this runaway kid who was uberly depressed but his parents had no idea. The psychic lady sensed the kid’s pain and worried about what he might do. Lo and behold, some hikers found his body: he had hung himself.
Stories like this have always been just tv and movie plots (or documentaries) for me. The thought of suicide had never entered my mind (believe it or not, I have never considered it even during the angsty “rebel” teenage years). I have always felt my family and friends’ love and support for me, regardless of the hardships we have gone through (I guess that was also the same reason why we were able to pull through those difficult times). It had never occurred to me to want to take my own life, for the simple reason that I had a lot to live for. Call me vain, but I love this life, no matter how shity it sometimes gets. So I don’t think it should surprise you that I am one of those people who consider suicide as surreal—a thing for tv, books, and movies.
But suicide IS a reality.
A few nights ago, I received a startling text message from one of my close college buddies: our *kabarkada‘s younger brother passed away. He died by suicide.
It took me quite a while to really register what he just said. I knew that kid, I had met him more than twice already and have talked to him whenever he answered the phone. The idea alone of him dying was crazy; the cause of his death was totally unimaginable. It was still surreal, but this time, very close to home.
What drives people to want to take their own life? I am honestly lost in the dark. I know not everyone is as lucky as we are (yes, you too… The fact that you can read this post means that you can afford to get internet access—there are people who don’t even have enough for them to eat), but really, how do these things happen?
Marc and I will be getting married soon, and it won’t be long when we’ll have children of our own. I can’t even imagine losing a child to suicide. How can this be prevented? How can a parent recognize the symptoms of a possible suicidal?
I’m not trying to play the fool here. Really, this wasn’t something discussed in detail when I took up the required subject of Psychology 101 in college. Call me sheltered or whatever, but this really is something that I used to consider surreal.
*kabarkada – a person belonging to a close circle of friends. Sorry I had to use a colloquial term, but I can’t find a better way to describe her and how close she is to me.
Sorry for this little lecture but I just had to mention this as I often meet with families who lost their child through suicide. The term “committed suicide” is not used nowadays due to its implications of criminality. Historically, that term was an instrument of retaliation against the survivors, and it has no place in today’s enlightened society.”Died of suicide” or “died by suicide” are accurate, emotionally- neutral words to use. It has been discovered that most suicide is caused by clinical depression due to chemical imbalance. We didn’t know this back in the dark ages but we do now. I treat the death with compassion as much as any other death.
Mostly people who commit suicide were looking something in their life that they couldn’t find, and they do not know the real meaning of Life (which is true). They look happiness with their material posessions, family and friends. But let’s face it.. everyone dies and everyone fades. So the real life is thru Jesus 🙂
Noemi: Thanks. I did edited the term already. All of us are actually still very shocked. From what my friend had told me before, I even had the impression that the kid had a “strong” personality. It’s just one of those situations that you can’t believe could actually happen to the family of someone that close to you, you know?
I watched George Carlin 2005 monologue on HBO last night. He tackled alot of things including suicide. He is talking about the reality of human beings. He may sound so negative but the things he said are true. We human beings are the only specie on this earth who would think of killing ourselves. Strange isn’t it, that we consider our selves superior to all other animals?. If you get the chance watch George Carlin HBO 2005.
11 years ago, I lost an uncle to suicide. He had a great job at a pioneer chip company. Married for a year and has a beautiful daughter. He was alcoholic. The last time I saw him, he was bloated and looked very depressed. Since I was in a rush to go to school for a quiz, I didn’t try to talk to him. I can tell he was suffering and for some strange reason, I knew that he was at the end of his rope. A week later he hung himself. Until this day, I still wonder if I could have only talked to him, would it have made a difference?
Here in the US, according to George Carlin’s source suicide is the third highest cause of death among the youth(12-24 years old). One reason is depression and another one is some crazy idea of cutting off oxygen from the brain before getting an orgasm(during masterbaturbation..there is a term, i forgot). The process is to highten the “high.” There are also reports that pre-teens(9-11s), have a game of cutting off the oxygen to get a “high”.
I have a neice-in-law who seems to be very put together in the outside world(a straight A student, a dance instructress and a life guard) but is a basket case at home. She is on anti-dressants. Been on sucide watch too.
My college classmate’s brother attempted to commit suicide by drinking pesticide when he broke up with his girl friend.
In my humble opinion, when people loose faith and hope in God, things can mess up a person’s mind. In this life at this day and age, we need to cling to the fact that there is still good left on this Earth.