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Yesterday I heard of a friend who is depressed and had suicidal thoughts. Luckily she had already reached out for help from a good friend and had found a place to go to talk. Her circumstances seem to be the catalyst in this case, as opposed to someone who is clinically depressed. But either way it’s crucial for those in contact with those people to listen and be aware of hints, words, behaviors, that seem to indicate thoughts of suicide.
When I have come in contact with someone contemplating suicide I have always returned to this: If you are alive, there is hope. If you are dead, there is not. It doesn’t matter if you THINK there is hope. It doesn’t matter if you THINK things will get better. All that matters is that you ACT as if there is hope and that things will get better. Be an actor, pretend your way through it.
I don’t mean to be trite. I don’t mean you shouldn’t get help, of course you should. And I don’t mean you don’t eventually want to get to the place where you actually have hope and believe things will get better. But for now, you obviously do not think that. I can’t make you think it. But actors don’t have to believe, they just have to act. And acting is what will keep you alive until the help and hope comes about.
I am not talking about the pretending all is well when it isn’t. I am not talking about living a lie, living in abuse, living in unbearable circumstances. I am talking about acting out a set of steps that will keep you alive.
First step, admit it to someone who you think has the best chance of helping you. If that person doesn’t step up, keep going, find another person. Don’t give up, don’t stop until that person has appeared.
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Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily
Quote by George Carlin, 1937-2008, American comedian and writer
>I just found out this week about a suicide. It was a woman who had modeled for the photo group I help organize. I didn't know her, just had taken some shots once. But still, knowing that she was only 25, married with a young daughter, just breaks my heart. Here is a link to my flickr page, she is the one with the big back tattoo, the first 4 photos in the set. http://www.flickr.com/photos/digioreo/sets/72157624123514436/show/ RIP Sara James.
>Debbie, I was hoping you would comment, I knew you would have a very profound view of it, thank you. I am so very glad you weren't successful. And I agree and understand that many can't reason themselves out of the despair. I wish I knew how to address that, but this is the best I can do so far in my understanding. I know you understand that.
>I just saw the other comments….I had just started a new antidepressant "with suicidal tendencies." These things are dangerous and are just prescribed recklessly with no monitoring. DDANGEROUS!
>As someone who has tried to commit suicide in a very serious attempt, I can tell you that I was in a place where I could not reason or even relate to the logic expressed here. In my thinking, there was no hope even alive. I could not even see, feel or think hope. All I could feel, see and think was fear and despair.
I guess my point is, no one can begin to understand unless they have been there. Logic and reasoning, if someone is REALLY suicidal, make no sense. A person has to be kept safe until they can see this.
I totally agree with this reasoning now, but I could not even fathom it then.
>doctors who prescribe mood altering drugs that "may cause thoughts of suicide IN SOME PEOPLE" should be euthanized.
>Someone said recently, suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.