August 19, 2014
As everyone is aware, last week the world receive the sad news that Robin Williams committed suicide. He made the world laugh but chose to make the world cry as his final act. As I have said before, suicide is a personal choice. No one would be able to stop you from taking your own life if you are determined to do so. Only you have the power to change your mind. Suicide is not just about feeling lonely but about not feeling alive, even when you hold the world by your hands. It is about living with emotional pain day in and day out. As I describe it in my book, it is like having stalker reminding you that no matter what you do, you have no hope of achieving any sense of peace about yourself.
However, what many fail to understand is that when you choose to end your life you are making your loved ones take on your burden. Day in and day out they will live your pain because, regardless of whether you wanted it or not, they will feel responsible for your death. They won’t stop thinking about missing that chance to save you. They will not be able to stop thinking about how much they miss you and how your death created a void in their lives that can’t be filled by anyone or anything. As such, it is one reason everyone should think twice about committing suicide.
The data is mixed as to whether a suicide will trigger others in the community to attempt suicide as well. However, it is a well-known fact that suicides run in families and there are some family members of those who commit suicide that may choose to follow those same steps as well.
This is what many that commit suicide fail to think about before they do it. Would Robin Williams feel good about any of his loved ones committing suicide? Not likely. However, he already set the tone in his family. Would he have committed suicide if he knew that by doing so, it may cause some in his family to do the same in a time of despair? I doubt it. This is true regardless of how big or small of a persona you might be. There are many who commit suicide feeling that no one loved them, but the ripple effects were felt by those who knew them with many feeling guilty or responsible for their death.
Instead of giving up, why not be appreciative that if anyone in the family is to have to deal with major depression that it should be you. You prefer that because you would not want your loved ones to deal with something like this and end up committing suicide. Only you have what it takes to deal with such feelings. You are strong and you will fight the feelings of hopelessness, helplessness and worthlessness like you would fight a stalker. You will not allow that stalker to prevent you from living up to your responsibilities day in and day out. Even when you feel you can no longer deal with your despair, you will choose to live another day because that day might just be the day that you will conquer your feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, and helplessness.