Two Sides of Words Spoken

***** THE FOLLOWING IS PURELY FICTION.  IF YOU ARE SUFFERING FROM DEPRESSION, PLEASE SEEK TREATMENT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BY SPEAKING WITH YOUR DOCTOR OR CALLING ONE OF THE NUMBERS LISTED BELOW. *****

 

 

Two Sides of Words Spoken

 He stands beside the casket, speaking to each of the people filing past.  He is somewhat surprised at the number of people who have taken time out of their busy lives to stop by and pay their last respects.  He recognized most of the family, but many others he has no idea who they are.  How did all these people know his wife when he didn’t know them?  Is it possible there was a side to her he never took the time to understand?  Not likely.  He listened to story after story of how his wife had touched their lives.  Were they really talking about the same person.  She had apparently shown kindness, love and caring to each of these people in one form or another.  Many she had provided meals for, others she delivered much needed groceries, some she watched their children when they needed someone, a few had been given rides when either their cars had given up or were out of fuel.  Many she had just provided compassion, a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on.  They said she was going to be greatly missed.  He just didn’t understand what she had been thinking.  Why did she do this?  How stupid could someone be?  He was always trying to help her improve herself and learn to do things more efficiently but she just wouldn’t listen to him.  He told her over and over what she needed to do to be better. 

She sat in her car staring out the windshield without really seeing the bridge in front of her.  Tears were streaming down her face as his words ran on a continuous loop through her mind.  She closed her eyes and covered her ears with her hands but neither the tears nor the words would stop.  “You never fail to disappoint”, “You never miss an opportunity to fail”, “Now I know why they have idiot lights”, “A little common sense can go a long way”, “I will treat you better when you deserve to be treated better” and on and on and on.  She couldn’t take it any longer.  She doubted anyone would miss her anyway.  With that final thought, she hit the accelerator without even opening her eyes or taking her hands off her ears.  Peace was finally within her grasp.

 

Copyright by Betty Williams 2013

 

*******************************************************************************

 

Many people feel sad or depressed at some time in their life.  But if this sadness or depression continues you need to seek help.  Clinical depression is marked by a depressed mood most of the day, particularly in the morning, and a loss of interest in normal activities and relationships -- symptoms that are present every day for at least 2 weeks. In addition,  you may have other symptoms with major depression. Those symptoms might include:

      Fatigue or loss of energy almost daily

                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Feelings of worthlessness or guilt almost daily

Impaired concentration or being indecisive

Insomnia or hypersomnia (excessive sleeping) almost daily

Diminished interest or pleasure in almost all activities nearly every day (called anhedonia, this symptom can be best determined by significant others)

Restlessness or feeling slowed down

Recurring thoughts of death or suicide

Significant change of more than 5% of body weight in a month – either gain or loss

 

Take any mention of suicide seriously. If someone is threatening to commit suicide, get help right away. Health professionals should try to find out whether the person:

Has the means (weapons or medicines) available to commit suicide or do harm to another person

Has set a time and place to commit suicide

Thinks that there is no alternative way to stop the pain



If a suicide threat seems real, with a specific plan and the means at hand:

Call 911, a suicide hotline, or the police immediately

Stay with the person, or ask someone you trust to stay with the person, until the crisis is over

Encourage the person to seek professional help

Don't argue with ("It's not as bad as you think") or challenge the person ("You're not the type to commit suicide")

Tell the person that you don't want him or her to die. Talk about the situation as openly as possible



You can take steps to prevent a suicide attempt.

Be willing to listen, and help the person find help. Don't be afraid to talk to them or ask "What is the matter?" or bring up the subject of suicide. There is no evidence that talking about suicide leads to suicidal thinking or suicide.

Remove all firearms from the home, or lock firearms and bullets up in different places.

Get rid of any prescription and nonprescription medicines that are not being used.

 

Warning Signs Of Suicide

It is difficult to know if a person is thinking about committing suicide. These are people who:

Have tried to commit suicide before, or have had a family member who has tried to commit or who committed suicide.

Have had or have mental health problems such as severe anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or depression

Have been through family violence, including physical or sexual abuse.

Drink a lot of alcohol or use drugs

Are older. Older Americans have the highest suicide rate of any age group. The rate is highest among white men ages 65 and older. Within this group, divorced and widowed men have the highest rate.

Are veterans or are members of the armed services.

 

 

Events that may put people at greater risk for suicide include:

Life changes such as the death of a partner or good friend, retirement, divorce, or problems with money.

The diagnosis of a serious physical illness, such as cancer or heart disease, or a new physical disability.

Severe and long-lasting pain.

Loss of independence or not being able to get around without help.

Living alone or not having friends or social contacts

Adults who are at risk may show these warning signs of suicide.

They may:

Plan to or say they want to hurt or kill themselves or someone else.

Talk, write, read, or draw about death, including writing suicide notes and talking about items that can cause physical harm, such as pills, guns, or knives.

Say they have no hope, they feel trapped, or there is no point in "going on."

Buy guns or bullets, stockpile medicines, or take other action to prepare for a suicide attempt. They may have a new interest in guns or other weapons.

Drink more alcohol or use drugs, including prescription medicines.

No longer want to see people and want to be alone a lot.

No longer take care of themselves or follow medical advice.

Give away their things and/or hurry to complete a will.

 

The warning signs in children, teens and young adults may be different. They include running away from home or doing risky or dangerous things, such as drunk driving.

1-800-784-2433 OR 1-800-SUICIDE

1-800-273-8255 OR 1-800-273-TALK