Tuesday, June 21, 2005

Past the Point of No Return

This is a picture taken by Alessia Pierdomenico on March 31, 2005 at St Peter's Basilica.

Last night I was with the friends that I live with when they found out that someone that they knew had committed suicide. The man was about 65 years old and had suffered from depression for a very long time. He was taking medication and finally after feeling like he could do it no more he shot himself in his home.

This event has really had me thinking about life and how we live each day. I suffer with depression, and was diagnosed ten years ago. Since that time I have been on and off medication and visited various counselors. Luckily right now, I have the tools needed to live each day where I feel more in tune with my emotions and have the necessary tools in order to better deal with my illness.

How does a person get to the point where life just doesn't seem worth living any longer? What kinds of thoughts go through their brain? Is it worth leaving behind all the people you love? This is something I have asked myself many times since a day in high school when a fellow student sitting next to me attempted to take his own life by jumping out of the top story window in our math class. This experience really shook me up. I had contemplated suicide before, but after this experience I knew that I could never do that to the people that I love.

The other question that was asked last night was from one of my friends. He said that he had just seen this person yesterday at church and he started to ask himself, what could he have done to make a difference? Could he have said a small encouraging statement, given him a hug, etc? In all honesty, there might not have been anything he could have done, but I do believe that we should try to always say the things we feel and let others know that we care, because the time may one day come when it is too late.

posted by American Girl at 11:15 AM |

2 Comments:

Commented by  Kate:

I had a friend in high school who made attempts on her own life several times. She was never successful, and I know that most of the time she didn't want to succeed. She wanted attention.

I wonder though, what's ever happened to that girl. If she's okay, if she's alive, if I could have been a better friend.

I'm not saying anyone who tries that and fails is hunting for attention. I think that much of the time, the people who go that route have just given up hope.

Hope is what keeps most of us alive every day, I think.

6/21/2005 11:59 AM 

Commented by  B:

There is but one that can judge anyone and that is God. There can be so many things happening that nobody is aware of...including the individual (ie chemical imbalances) and sometimes it doesn't matter what is done, that person may still succeed in taking their own life. We are asked to treat every individual that crosses our path as if it were the Savior himself. If we do that then we are doing all that we can. You never know when you save a life, either physically or spiritually. Continued charity just increases the chances of saving rather than destroying.

6/21/2005 4:12 PM 

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