Ironic as it may, I posted last Tuesday how we fought hard for the life of our minister, how we unite to look for means and support each other to survive the loss. Last night, I got news from my former colleague that one of our officemates before ending his life :(. He jumped at the bridge, I was not able to get the exact detail but it was confirmed, he committed suicide...
I’m not so close to this guy but I remember one time; he came to my workstation and gave me a key chain, he just came back from abroad. Got my memorabilia from him. This guy wanted to travel overseas and as far as I know, he travels annually to celebrate his natal day. He is one of the joyous people I’ve known. He is surrounded most of his gay friends partying, traveling, hanging out together. He is not a loner type of person; he attracts the crowd every time he passes by because of his wit and sense of humor. He is indeed an inborn comedian, I can attest to that. When he enters the room, you can feel the hype, the aura of a happy vibe. It is hard to believe he did that to himself; even his friends are in shock. He left a parting note prior to ending it all; he is depressed.
Unbelievable! This is the first thing that crossed my mind when I got the sad news. How could a person who has a positive vibe, happy face, successful life, career almost everything decided to end it all? Even on his note, he is still joking around, he wanted to be cremated, scatter his ash in the ocean because he might become a mermaid on his 2nd life. I don’t want to dig deeper to respect the privacy of his family but I am sad and worried about how depression is eating us alive.
I am not an expert to this; I am also in the journey of mastering my thoughts since it is our greatest ally or enemy when it comes to handling our emotions. I just hope there is a secret potion to this which it can turn our thoughts around when we feel the urge to feel depressed... but there is none. I realized it is so easy to give advice to friends who are experiencing this but do I really know what they are going through? The monster engulfing our thoughts trying to pin us down, letting us feel the emptiness, worthlessness, loneliness of our own existence.
I may not experience it yet I can imagine how painful it is for everyone who suffers depression, feeling lost and alone in the pit as if no one will understand you or no one seems to bother. Yes, you are surrounded with people but how could not anyone notice the façade?
I am not an expert to give step by step survival tips how to get away from it but what I can do is to be a good friend. To be aware that depression kills, it destroys. I need to be observant to the people I am around with. To check some signs, really listen not just to hear them when they open up, to care and remind them I am on their side.
Sometimes merely listening is enough, sometimes your presence, your hug, and touch are a big help to assure them they are not alone. Let’s validate the feeling of people reaching us.
Never take them for granted
Let’s show some love before it’s too late…
