A suicide prompts all sorts of reactions within our diverse and divided little society. After the most recent tragedy occurred, my feeds were brimming with status updates and shares by people who perceived the incident from multiple angles.
There is the self righteous faction that "strongly condemns" the "selfish" act and the "lack of faith" which, of course, is the ONLY viable reason a person would resort to suicide.
And then there are the "Comedians", the people who could not care less about the consequences of their remarks or how cruel they are for trivializing something that clearly hurts people associated with the deceased.
But at least the people I've classified above are clear cut. I know what they are and i expect nothing but the exact same reactions from them whenever a tragedy of this magnitude occurs.
My confusion lies within the community that clearly understands and acknowledges the fact that a person would only be driven to end his/her life when that person is incapable of coping with whatever hell they dwell in. Those who believe that the people who succumbed to the voices in their heads that told them to end it were, in fact, battling with Mental Illnesses. These are the people i am bewildered by since most of them are sufferers and the others, sympathizers.
It's astounding that so many of the sufferers are of the same mind and yet so desperate for understanding and acceptance. How are they so alike and yet so alone when surrounded by all these people who claim to feel exactly the way they do? How are they in pain and yet incapable of extending a hand towards someone who is battling the exact same demons that they are? Why do we not bother to make the effort we reprimand others for not making?
As for the sympathizers, i know it can be extremely hard to listen to the same issues over and over again. And there comes a point where you need to distance yourself from the negativity just to feel normal again. And that's only human. But at least you have the choice to separate yourself from the doom and gloom. They don't. So if those people mean anything to you, please don't abandon them.
I see so many people struggling with Mental Illness and they are weary of keeping a lid on the despair that consumes them. Sometimes all it takes is ONE friend, ONE lover or ONE family member who understands or at least tries to. Just having one supportive human being could make all the difference. Just one. That is all.
So be that person. I know you are suffering. I know it even hurts to breathe at times. But they despair, just as you do. They need, just like you do. So extend your hand. Be that person. You could be saving a life.
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