Suicide Awareness

I still think about one person I was introduced to. It was in a bus queue in town. Later that evening he shot himself with a shotgun he owned. He was so normal and friendly from the outside. I still wonder whether it was just an accident or silly prank. He was in his late teens. That was years ago now, when I was around the same age. A cousin of mine commited suicide too. The reason why never came out but it was not unlikely a family breakup. He was somewhat older.

Working with people with life changing conditions and terminal illnesses meant that occasionally they talked about suicide. It was obviously difficult to discuss with them but it was one part of the job that was not really ours but you just got on with. I don't remember any of our patients who actually did it but some deteriorated rapidly, more from their state of mind. Really they just got to a point and gave up.