A Suicide Note

A Suicide Note

I recall knowing three individuals during my lifetime, who took their own life. That was then, things have changed, the first thing detectives look for when they find a body without trauma is a suicide note. 

We see it on television, hear about it when big-name entertainers, are found dead, without a cause.

There was a time the word suicide wasn’t part of a young person’s vocabulary. When someone you knew died by their own hand, it never made the press. Saying the word suicide was as bad as swearing.

Today in schools students face tragedy among their peers, and grief counselors are on the spot to help them understand what they are feeling, on the inside, to lose someone so young, someone, they can relate to.

People fight to live, and others fight to die. Pressure on the youth continues to increase.

The newspapers report on suicides like any other death. It is no longer a secret for those left behind, they don’t have to hide, they can talk about it. We only hope we take the right steps in our society, not to condemn but try to understand why and fix it.

The number of celebrities who take their life is startling. They have a world of fans, loves looks like it’s pouring in from all sides, they receive praise, and their feelings seem to be hidden, in some cases. Think of those who committed suicide who were big stars or budding stars.

First, not all suicides are alike. An overdose of medication could be an accident, not a suicide. This topic is brought up first because research, regarding the use of drugs taken at the same time, is known to cause death. Several reports surfaced regarding the deaths of celebrities, what drugs were found in their system, these are the drugs linked with some of the suicides.

It is a known fact in the medical community that the combination of two drugs can kill a person, and those drugs were part of the coroner’s report on two high profiled victims. I will not name the drugs in this article, nor the victims, since this is not about one person, but a world of people. Also, if these drugs are taken the right way, they are not harmful. Perhaps this is one good reason to use the same pharmacy when filling prescriptions.

What comes of this, someone left behind lives the rest of their life believing their loved one committed suicide, and the cause of death is incorrect, regardless, we never touched on the legal ramifications regarding insurance. The drugs were given to the person legally, and not until after the circumstance did reports focus on deaths caused by drugs linked together, taken at the same time could cause death. These people, famous or not, have left a false picture of their last day.

We know why Hollywood is in the news when someone dies, but those you are close to are another victim. Perhaps those stars have not died in vain, and their death report helped professionals who reviewed the old reports, learn more concerning the mixing of medication.

Getting over the death of someone close to you is difficult, but you seem to question why, when they take their own life. Somehow you feel you are at fault, but you are not. You can’t change what’s happening inside someone’s mind. You can’t do anything, to save someone from their thoughts, even if you think you can.

Most people wonder if they could have helped if they knew. Others wonder if they called that day, said hello, perhaps it may have lifted their spirits. None of this has anything to do with the outcome, if someone is so depressed, for reasons unknown, they will smile at you when they faced you, face to face, but inside their mind a plan has been made.

I am shocked to hear some of the answers from our youth when you mention the word suicide, one person said, “It’s a quick fix to get rid of your problems.” Another young person said, “They think life beyond is far better than how they are living here.” Powerful statements from young individuals who haven’t even started living. Does our society have a powerful pull on the thought process of those who commit suicide?

A study released from the Department of Public Health stated the number of people who committed suicide in 2012 has dramatically increased. Now, think about what the country is going through. It not only hits adults, but children hear it, see it and live it.

Following 911 the suicide rate increased, 9% higher than normal, up to 2009, but this past year the percentage grew even higher. Some people do not have the ability to cope with emotional problems, changes, job loss, a spouse on duty, etc., so they feel they are taking the easy road out.

Many people are now focusing on the depressed, mentally ill, and terminally ill. We have heard about the terminally ill who suffers, who want to die because they gave up on research and want to end the pain. We seek help for those who are depressed, but not enough; they need more than drugs, but a person who can help them with their problems, listen without judging.

Those who suffer from mental illness need advanced medicine to kick in, no matter what their plan covers, and take advantage of the doctors, research, treatment, and don’t ignore them, they too are alive and breathing.

Unfortunately, the words mentally ill have carried a stigma in our society, when those who suffer do not want to have this problem. Due to the stigma, many people go undiagnosed. It reminds me of the word suicide and the way people use to react to this type of death. To be mentally ill is the same as having cancer. It is an illness, and to fix someone is the best way for the entire society.

By no means do I mean drugged, sleeping, and those not knowing their own name. For many years, doctors drugged patients to keep them calm, without finding out the reason behind the illness.

What we have learned is suicide is personal, and without the knowledge of drugs, the use of legal drugs in the wrong combination; death has been reported as a suicide.

We learned many suicides are taken with a grain of salt by the younger generation, perhaps the subject is so clear to them from deaths reported on the news, and the media openly talks about suicide, even after a devastating attack on others, the killer is the victim of suicide.

Young people today hear and know far more than they did twenty years ago. Children and teens pick up on stories, talk about them, and it becomes a part of our society since it is now part of their world. We have to change the way we are living day to day to change the attitudes in this country.