Something I don't understand

[ramjet]

A good friend of ours have just lost their son. The mother and father are divorced due to an extramarital affair by the husband. Stuff happens I suppose. The father went into the barn, just this Wednesday gone, to get some hay for his horses and found the 15 year old son in there. He had taken his own life.

Liz knows Austin as she was an aide in his classes in grade 1, 2 & 3. He always hated school. Liz doesn't know why. Just him.

Liz and I have had our own troubles with our son. We are lucky in that we still have him and he seems to be getting things sorted out.

What I just cannot see is how your life can get so bad for you to see this as the only way out?

As sad as I am for Liz and the family over there, I also think it is a terrible thing to do to your family on the 20th December. Especially when I know how extended and how close most of the family is. Liz lost her mother to a new cancer on the 20th December as well, many years ago, so now she has two memories that she would rather not have.

It will unfortunately last for them all for many more Christmases to come.

[rogerch]

There is no light, no way forward, no way back. Only pain and continued suffering, there is only one way to end the suffering.

Came close.

[Malcolm Feth]

There is so many reason why this can happen and the worst thing is, that people around such person might not even know about it.
"I also think it is a terrible thing to do to your family on the 20th December " - I would never say something like that. People don't decide to do it, just because it will be fun to screw up Christmas.
It doesn't help when people say & think "taking your own life is so selfish", only proves their ignorance. This is a topic for a long discussion...

Interesting thing... Suicide might become a "cool thing to do" like smoking or drinking alcohol in young age. Human history has such example from on of islands in Asia, I don't remember exactly where it was.
A lot of young people were depressed and unhappy. One young boy took his life and created a wave on similar actions. More followed, encouraged that this is the solution to their problems. Annual stats grew in thousands % for next few years...

[Barrykearley]

Truly horrific.

its worth thinking about mental Illness - and taking that extra time to talk too folks just to see the are ok. Everyone can be affected at different times. Someone who laughs externally may be in turmoil inside.

"there but for the grace of god go I" is a very apt statement. It could be any one of us.

 

[tim_marra]

I lost my wife earlier this year in similar circumstances. I can't really begin to express my pain for the loss and sadness I feel, it is so hard to come to terms with, I struggle every day.

[ramjet]

8 hours ago, Malcolm Feth said:

There is so many reason why this can happen and the worst thing is, that people around such person might not even know about it.
"I also think it is a terrible thing to do to your family on the 20th December " - I would never say something like that. People don't decide to do it, just because it will be fun to screw up Christmas.
It doesn't help when people say & think "taking your own life is so selfish", only proves their ignorance. This is a topic for a long discussion...

Interesting thing... Suicide might become a "cool thing to do" like smoking or drinking alcohol in young age. Human history has such example from on of islands in Asia, I don't remember exactly where it was.
A lot of young people were depressed and unhappy. One young boy took his life and created a wave on similar actions. More followed, encouraged that this is the solution to their problems. Annual stats grew in thousands % for next few years...

You are right Malcolm. I apologise for writing this post as badly as I did.

I do not mean that it was a conscious thought by Austin to do this on the 20th, It reads like that though.

It is a horribly tragic thing to occur at any time. I should have reread my post several times to make sure it read better. Unfortunately, the typed word does not read like the spoken word when people are face to face.

[Barrykearley]

It's just a complete tragedy for all concerned. Not sure any words would be right.

please folks - just make sure everyone around you are really ok - a kind word or comment, however insignificant to you, can really make a difference to someone on the edge.

[mik]

Tim - huge condolences. I can't even imagine...

 

We've all had lows. Humans are complex. I consider myself lucky that my head has never taken me to such places, but I know through friends who've suffered depression and/or attempted suicide - that it feels like the only logical outcome. 

 

RIP to your friend's son Ramjet.  

[ramjet]

23 hours ago, tim_marra said:

I lost my wife earlier this year in similar circumstances. I can't really begin to express my pain for the loss and sadness I feel, it is so hard to come to terms with, I struggle every day.

My condolences as well Tim. Not something I would like to entertain.