Suicide is the ultimate way to end suffering, in all honesty despite many saying it is a selfish death, suicide is a tremendously brave thing to do, willingly killing yourself is not easy and bravery is sadly not often associated with the act when perhaps it should be.
Depression, drug addiction or just being unable to cope with circumstances or a diagnosis can all lead to suicide. The truth is that there is help for anyone but some just don’t have the strength to even get that far. For some people who have attempted or committed suicide, it has been a gradual progression toward the event and for some, it has come quickly perhaps as a result of a medical diagnosis, the loss of a loved one or just arriving at a tough situation such as exams. Either way, suicide is a heavy consideration and is one that some people see as the only way out and even as a way to stop others from sharing or carrying their burden.
Suicide is only ever realized after the event, “I never saw it coming” or “I didn’t think things were that bad” or “I was told he/she was doing ok” but the facts, especially in adolescent and young adult suicide, are often hidden by an array of emotions or smoke screens that convince others that things are all ok. Finding out that someone has taken their own life often comes as a shock and that shock is felt most within the family. The suicide was and generally always is a huge cry for help that never comes or comes too late often when the body is still warm.
The family feels a range of emotions inside that range from sadness to anger to shock to that strange knowing the person is at peace but at the same time wishing they could have helped. The pain felt by the young person taking their own life is unimaginable, the torment that leads to the point of no return has not been seen or has been misinterpreted and those moments where one knows they could have should have acted and reached out for some reason never actually become realized and everything for the person on the brink or sadly passed away is beyond mixed up. Suicide often does come as a shock, perhaps there is some gentle relief but nearly always it can be prevented and it is never too late to reach out.
The darkness felt by someone who is considering taking their own life is beyond anything most people can imagine often hoping at the last second something or someone will come and help them in the moment of need, and the hurt that comes to someone when a loved one, one so young has taken their own life is minor in comparison. The pain and the turmoil for the loved ones is far less but it haunts and stretches until the day they die, not a day goes by when they don’t wish they could have done something, asked or just been there, suicide is something that is noticed too late and sits deep in the conscience of the person each and every day. To live knowing you could have, maybe done something that would keep that person here today is painful but then one will always question, and one needs to question just how much pain was that person in and are they now at rest?
Teen suicide is a devastating event that brings sadness and more questions than answers. Help for teens with depression is available at Centered Health.