Perusing the World Wide Web this evening, I stumbled upon a list of the 10 most common ways in which to commit suicide. And while I will not post that list or the link to this site, I do feel a need to write this.
A few years ago, a good friend of mine called me after having taken an exorbitant amount of sleeping pills. Living in a different state at the time, he was 2,000 miles away to from me or anyone I knew personally that could help him. For nearly an hour I pleaded with him to leave his room, tell someone what he had done, and get help before it was too late. In response, he continued nonsensical conversations with me and would periodically hang up on my urges for him to get help (at which point I would immediately call back and keep trying) Eventually, he stopped answering my calls. I quickly called another mutual friend to try to get in contact with him, not knowing if he was unable to answer or simply didn’t want to talk to me anymore. As it turned out, this other friend was able to finally convince him to leave his room at which point he was taken directly to the hospital and treated.
To this day, he has no recollection of the phone conversations we had while he was slipping away from sleeping pills. He knows, due to phone records that he called me that night, and has apologized for anything offensive he may have said (he didn’t say anything) but truly cannot remember ever having done anything. He has since lost a lot of friends because of this and other decisions he has made. Even I must admit I am not as close to him as I used to be.
My point in sharing this experience is to portray the harrowing event it truly is. I felt helpless to help my friend, and frustrated that he would so quickly be willing to give up and end his life. I am sure there are things and events I do not understand that influence people to even ponder suicide, but I beg of anyone even humoring the idea to PLEASE reconsider. Whether you realize it or not, there are people in the world who love and care about you. I do agree that life can suck sometimes, but do not let the negative things make you forget all the potential you have as a human being, as an individual.
I know this is not the most eloquently written post, however, I hope I was still able to get my point across. Don’t sacrifice your future to a moment of self doubt. You have spirit and potential beyond what you may know right now. Be patient and be strong.
Suicide Awareness Voices of Education
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
The Samaritans UK
Additionally, here are some numbers to call:
United States: 1-800-273-TALK (National Suicide Prevention Hotline)
United States (Spanish): 1-888-628-9454
United Kingdom: 08457 90 90 90 (Samaritans)
Republic of Ireland: 1850 60 90 90 (Samaritans)
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