Barbara was relieved when her son, John, told her he was
going out to grab some pizza with the guys. John had been struggling with
depression off and on for the past several years. His most recent episode had
lasted about three months. Barbara had been worried about John. He had no
motivation to do his school work and often called in sick to work. He had been
spending more time in his room, and did not even want to talk on his phone with
friends.
Six weeks ago, Barbara convinced John to see his family
doctor about the depression. He was prescribed an antidepressant and encouraged
to exercise daily. Yesterday, John surprised his mom by giving her flowers and
thanking her for her support over the past several months. She was ecstatic
when he told her he wanted to go out for the night with friends. Things were
finally looking up.
Just as Barbara prepared for bed, there was a knock on the
door. Opening it, she was confused – why was there a police officer at her
door?
“Oh no! No! No! No!”
Barbara’s son John had driven his car off a cliff killing
himself.
Unfortunately, while the details may differ, the suicides do
not. Individuals with depression are at greater risk for suicide attempts
immediately following a depressive episode. When a person is depressed, he may
ruminate on all the reasons and ways to die, but he has no energy to do anything.
As the depression lifts, these self-deprecating thoughts often remain and now
the person has the energy to put into action the plan he has been construing
for some time.
Don’t think because the depression is starting to lift that the
risk for suicide has passed. Continue to watch for warning signs and don’t be afraid
to ask the difficult questions --- Are you planning to hurt yourself? Have you
thought about killing yourself? Have you thought about how you would do it? Do
you have a plan?
If the answer is yes, seek help immediately. Call 911. If you are suicidal, consider calling the crisis
hotline number below.
1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433)
1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255)
Labels: Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Mental Health, Suicide
