Recently there have been numerous posts on Facebook about Robin Williams. While many people are truly distressed of his passing I could not help but notice that there were a few people that had very negative comments posted. While I can agree that suicide is not the answer being judgmental and stating that someone committing suicide will not go to heaven is just downright crass and makes people wonder about your humanity or lack thereof.
Not a single one of us can say with any certainty just why this wonderful actor/comedian chose to take his own life. The fact that he battled depression was not anything new he spoke of it on various occasions during interviews. Depression is a nasty thing and often makes one feel completely alone even then they are not.
Every person on this planet has suffered from a bout of depression a few times in their lives. But many do not understand the horrendous weight that descends upon another who battles depression on a daily basis. It is not something that one can just ‘get over it’, it is not that simple. Actual depression is not the feeling of sadness/devastation due to the loss of a loved one, the ending of a marriage, the loss of a home or job.
True depression is something that one fights every single day. Sometimes one just cannot continue the fight as they see any other way to stop the feeling of desolation that is consuming them from the inside out. Most of the time no one knows the distress that others are feeling partly because we really don’t want to know. They also don’t want to tell anyone because too many times when they have tried to talk to loved ones or friends it was not well received.
When one gets the response of “Oh just get over it”, “It’s time to move on”, “Stop beating a dead horse would you”, that person tends to stop confiding in those they were seeking help from. This makes the person with depression withdraw even more into themselves and that can become very dangerous.
I have had many friends lose family members to suicide and looking back they see where that loved one was reaching out for a helping hand and none were to be found. Within the last year I personally almost lost a dear childhood friend to this same disease. She was hospitalized for a while due to her attempt failing. I am thankful everyday that she did fail but I also understand on my own level the loss she suffered that drove her to do what she had done.
So please remember the next time that someone starts to tell you how sad they are or distressed they are about something actually LISTEN TO THEM. This means no running dialog in your head about how you are going to respond to them if that dialog is going then you are NOT listening. Before responding stop and think about what they said and if possible try to remember how many times they have said this to you before. Your response or lack thereof could mean the difference in seeing your friend or loved one as a viable living being again.
In this busy go-go world that we live in try to remember to stop and just appreciate those around you that even if you don’t see them often the thought of them puts a smile on your face. Reach out to them with a quick phone call, email, text, write a letter and just tell them you were thinking of them and are thankful they are in your life. This too can make all the difference in the world for how a person is feeling and potentially change the direction of their day for the better.
Brightest blessings to you and yours may the dark not seem so scary and may the light shine in those dark and frightening places for you to find peace. May the love of the Goddess fill you and help lighten the load that you carry every day.
Blessed Be.
Not a single one of us can say with any certainty just why this wonderful actor/comedian chose to take his own life. The fact that he battled depression was not anything new he spoke of it on various occasions during interviews. Depression is a nasty thing and often makes one feel completely alone even then they are not.
Every person on this planet has suffered from a bout of depression a few times in their lives. But many do not understand the horrendous weight that descends upon another who battles depression on a daily basis. It is not something that one can just ‘get over it’, it is not that simple. Actual depression is not the feeling of sadness/devastation due to the loss of a loved one, the ending of a marriage, the loss of a home or job.
True depression is something that one fights every single day. Sometimes one just cannot continue the fight as they see any other way to stop the feeling of desolation that is consuming them from the inside out. Most of the time no one knows the distress that others are feeling partly because we really don’t want to know. They also don’t want to tell anyone because too many times when they have tried to talk to loved ones or friends it was not well received.
When one gets the response of “Oh just get over it”, “It’s time to move on”, “Stop beating a dead horse would you”, that person tends to stop confiding in those they were seeking help from. This makes the person with depression withdraw even more into themselves and that can become very dangerous.
I have had many friends lose family members to suicide and looking back they see where that loved one was reaching out for a helping hand and none were to be found. Within the last year I personally almost lost a dear childhood friend to this same disease. She was hospitalized for a while due to her attempt failing. I am thankful everyday that she did fail but I also understand on my own level the loss she suffered that drove her to do what she had done.
So please remember the next time that someone starts to tell you how sad they are or distressed they are about something actually LISTEN TO THEM. This means no running dialog in your head about how you are going to respond to them if that dialog is going then you are NOT listening. Before responding stop and think about what they said and if possible try to remember how many times they have said this to you before. Your response or lack thereof could mean the difference in seeing your friend or loved one as a viable living being again.
In this busy go-go world that we live in try to remember to stop and just appreciate those around you that even if you don’t see them often the thought of them puts a smile on your face. Reach out to them with a quick phone call, email, text, write a letter and just tell them you were thinking of them and are thankful they are in your life. This too can make all the difference in the world for how a person is feeling and potentially change the direction of their day for the better.
Brightest blessings to you and yours may the dark not seem so scary and may the light shine in those dark and frightening places for you to find peace. May the love of the Goddess fill you and help lighten the load that you carry every day.
Blessed Be.
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