Somewhere Over the Rainbow...

I wish I had some answers.  In addition to tragic celebrity deaths, I also read in my local newspaper about a young boy who had lost his mother in a traffic accident.   He simply could not face life without her and took his own life.  And I wonder...had nobody noticed anything.  Had he reached out to anyone? How desperate lonely he must have been. So horrible.

As a member of National Alliance on Mental Alliance, I have studied and read many case histories of people that have taken their own life.  As near as I figure, there is absolutely no solid pattern.  Suicidal tendencies cross all boundaries and is a moving target.  As successful celebrities can show us, it doesn't matter how much money or success you may have.

 Is it possibly societal?  The face that we are more disconnected socially than ever can't help.  Maybe too much pressure to be Pinterest Perfect?  Filtered pictures to remind us of all of our flaws?  Or is that not deep enough?

Is it wholly due to deep mental instability?  Does the stigma attached make diagnosing evasive?  I wish I knew.

Ideally, we can spot a person struggling and reach out to help them.  But I don't know that realistically we can. When I'm feeling blue, you will never see me. There seems to be a commonality with isolation and privacy.  Not all mental torture is shared publicly.   Seems that by the time the person needs to be helped, their decision has been made and there is no stopping it.

I've been blue all day anticipating trying to address this topic.  As a person who struggles with depression, it scares me that maybe that edge is lurking somewhere nearby.  I'm working on staying positive and healthy and learning all I can.

So, lets try to be loving and kind-you never really know what a person is dealing with. Thank you all for letting me muse and share.  Peace, XO