I was saddened to hear of the death of Robin Williams as I am sad to hear of the death of anybody. I haven’t posted anything as it didn’t seem to be my place to do so but some of the comments raised since have made me think. I was reminded of when I was ill, very ill, with depression. I had worked in mental health and had supported people with depression but until I became ill with it myself, I can honestly say that I’d had no idea of what it was and how it made you feel despite all my training and experience and contact with sufferers before. It is a devastating illness. One of the posts was from someone who thought that suicide was cowardly as a relative of theirs had suffered from various debilitating illnesses and had not taken their own life. All I can say to that is that you cannot compare one persons suffering to anothers and how people cope with what is thrown at them in life is unique. We can never walk in anothers shoes. I was reminded how, when I had just gone on sick leave with depression, a nursing sister on the ward I was walking on had sneered at me for having depression explaining that she had had a miscarriage and had not got depression. I mourned for her lost child, I felt guilty about my own illness. Her reaction only increased my problems. Suicide can often seem to those with depression as the only opportunity to end their pain, a pain that as my experience above shows, others cannot see or understand. To all those who have experienced or are going through depression, or living with, or who know someone with depression I urge you to stay as strong as you can and support yourself through the illness as best you can. Support for the really difficult times can be found through SAMARITANS whose telephone number is 08457 909090
Posted on: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 10:17:04 +0000
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