It’s often said the people who take their life are the ones that seem to have the most going for them. The strong ones. So naturally, it is a shock to the ones left behind -wondering what they could have done to stop it.

In the last few weeks there have been a number of suicide cases; many of which were high profile. While some experts blame the lack of socializing due to COVID , others are blaming society: Parents not preparing their children for life events, lack of medical care and access to antidepressants, and of course, the love- hate relationship with social media.

No matter where the blame may lie, there is no mistaking this : All hope was lost. They didn’t see a future ahead- so why continue to exist?

I’m reminded of a very powerful episode of the Golden Girls when the character of Sophia Petrilo was faced with a decision to stand by her friend to end her life. As the time came near, Sophia, in a moment of panic, asked her friend if she remembered how they met. Chuckling, her friend recalled the time. But as her friend fondly remembered the time, she also counteracted the fond memories with her “ailing body and lack of world peace”. As Sophia pressed her to remember the good times they had and a future of many more, the friend became confused “ not knowing what to do”. Sophia reminded her of that confusion letting her know that if she was unsure now, she wouldn’t get the opportunity to “change her mind later.”

I wonder how many people could benefit from such a conversation? As a reminder, it’s not always obvious that the person suffers from any type of mental illness- it’s the person who is living alone with family either far away or have passed. It’s the person who, despite the hundred times of trying got tired and gave up and it’s the people who are never given any encouragement .

It’s check in time. Check in on your crew. Let them know there is hope .

Suicide Hotline & Helpline Information

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National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

1-800-273-8255 (1-800-273-TALK) | website
Veterans in crisis, press “1” to be directed to local VA resources
Deaf, hard of hearing TTY and chat options here
En Español, call 1-888-628-9454