Depression Sucks

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Originally uploaded by raymaclean

In the news this week, two high profile suicides were talked about. Actor Andrew Koenig and Marie Osmond's son, Michael Blosil. Both men had suffered from depression for most of their lives. I found the remarks that Koenig's father and mother made really touched me.

"If you’re one of those people and you feel you can’t handle it anymore, you know, if you can learn anything from this, it’s that there’s people out there who really care,” Walter Koenig said, “Before you make that final, final decision, check it out again. Talk to somebody. And for families who have somebody who they fear are susceptible to this kind of behaviour, don’t ignore it, don’t rationalize it. Extend a hand."

Judy Koening also said, "All the people up here, from the police to his friends, have shown love which he didn’t realize was available to him."

I can't imagine how it feels as a parent to lose a child to suicide. It must be so painful, knowing that they are in so much pain, but not being able to help them. Suffering from depression myself, I can know how you can lose your sense of perspective and feel like their is no other option. Thankfully, my husband recognizes when I'm getting too deep into the depressive end. It's amazing how sometimes one good conversation can make a huge difference. I'm not saying that talking cures me, but it makes a difference. Just knowing that someone cares enough to ask me how I am and actually want to know the truth and not just hear "fine" helps.

We all have our good days and our bad days. Sometimes with depression, it's hard to recognize that there are good days. All you can see is the negative and it is like a heavy, dark cloud that presses down on you and keeps holding you down. It is a horrible place to be. It is not a pain that you would wish upon anyone.

If you are in that place, please reach out to someone. There are lots of people who can help. If you know someone who does suffer from depression, take the time to let them know you care. Take the time to familiarize yourself with the signs that the depression is worsening or that they are considering suicide. We know it's not the answer, but sometimes we can't see past our pain. You can find out more about suicide prevention here. In the meantime, my heart goes out to Andrew and Michael's families.

Check out these sites as well: To Write Love on Her Arms
Centre for Suicide Prevention