Another friend told me of a family member who committed suicide on Christmas. The hopelessness this person felt is way beyond my imagination. Hopelessness can surround people like a tornado. Bad things all around and no way out. Your mind can start lying to you saying no one cares if you are alive or not. All the bad things people have said and done to you start to take over in your thoughts and you can no longer find positive things to think about.
Maybe you are also addicted to something and you cannot find the high you once got from the substance and the substance has taken over your life. Or you have a serious mental disorder, such as bi-polar disorder, and it is not treated properly. With bi-polar disorder you are on top of the world one day and in the deepest hole of depression the next. Some people commit suicide when they are coming down from the high point because they have been in the depressed part of their bi-polar before and they do not want to go back.
Once, when I was around 20 old took five sleeping pills. I wanted to end my life, but I was too scared to do it. Why? I do not really remember why but I do know I was living a pretty unchristian-like life. See, I was raised in a strict Christian home where you did not run around with the wrong kind of people or do certain things. I was doing all the things I was not supposed to do, and I was miserable! Thankfully, I am still here 40 years later with an understanding how God saved me that day.
Another time I felt hopelessness was toward the end of my marriage. I felt like I was doing all the work around the house and taking care of the kids, yet I was not shown any kindness. It was like I was only there as a housekeeper and that is all. I got no emotional support and sometimes conversations with my (then) husband bordered on verbal abuse. I was a doormat! I checked myself in to the hospital one Saturday morning and stayed until Wednesday. I was not suicidal, but I felt a lot of hopelessness back then. I was able to move on from there and go to school and become the person I am today. I am not bitter, and all is forgiven. See my post on forgiveness at: https://northwoodsgirlblogging.com/christianity-and-mental-health-forgiveness/
But, something as simple as what I went through cannot compare to what others feeling the total hopelessness feel who succeed in ending their own life. See, even though I was raised in a Christian home and I was wayward when I was young, I knew I always had God quietly waiting for me to come back to Him. He has always been there. Coming back to Him I found peace.
Please get someone to help you, especially a professional. Call the hotline or go to a website listed below. Or check yourself into the hospital. Tell a friend or a trusted family member you are feeling hopelessness. Whatever you do, do not try to help yourself! Even when I took the five sleeping pills I went and saw my Pastor at the time. Get help!
Seek God! He is waiting for you to come to Him. He will help you find peace among the troubled times of your life. Isaiah 49:13b says “For the Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones. Verses 15b-16:a – says “I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;”. God keeps His promises and He loves you so much!
Looking for help:
Call 1-800-273-8255 for the suicide hotline or Suicide Prevention Lifeline https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org are places where you can get help. These are secular organizations but have been around a long time.
For those of a Christian background here is a couple of places you can turn to if you are feeling hopelessness.
http://anthemofhope.org/hopeline
Christian books on the topic can be found at:
Thank you for talking about mental health and offering these resources. It is a discussion that not happen often enough.
Such an important topic that needs to be addressed.
Thank God for forgiveness! He is good!
This is so sad but also helpful. My moms step brother committed suicide this year on Christmas. He was bad on drugs too. Once he cleaned up it was too late, he couldn’t function the same. Thank you for this resource.
Amen! God can help you overcome! ❤️
Thank you for sharing your journey! Your strength is inspiring and will be so helpful to others!
Thank you for sharing – and for spreading the word on the hotline number. Keeping this conversation going and not remaining silent can help others.
Thank you for sharing this
This is a good resource for people to get help. I’ve had friends who struggle with mental health say a lot of the time it’s not so much wanting to die as it is wanting the pain, physical and/or mental, to stop. It can be a struggle when therapy and medicine aren’t as effective as one hopes to cause the pain to end. It’s such a difficult journey.
This is a wonderful post! Suicide is a huge problem and one that can be stopped. It is unfortunate a person feels there is no place for them, when the opposite is the truth. Life is tough, there is no book, but balancing life with faith, family, and friends that allows connections and purpose can help someone feeling depressed. Reach out to someone . . . life is WORTH it!!
Thank you for keeping suicide prevention aware in all of us!
I remember feeling thoughts like this. Life was so hard and so discouraging. I just wanted to be done. It was my knowledge of God and that it’s not over after this life that kept me going.
Great advice for those in this situation. Thank you for sharing!
A very important post, especially this time of year where people can be having a very difficult time.
Thank you for sharing. This is so important.
I had times in the past, where I felt sad but not close to feeling depressed. When I ended my marriage, it was a relief. My ex-husband was the type of guy that would NEVER do the dishes or help out at home. In the beginning, I accepted that, but as the years went by with some other stuff, it just destroyed the relationship. Some people stay in marriages like that and will never know what happiness is. We are the lucky ones!
Thanks for your transparency and sharing your powerful testimony of Gods Grace and mercy.
Thank you for this! Thank you for bringing awareness. I cant believe how many people commit suicide nowadays. I have been feeling so sad about this.
This info is so important! Thank you for sharing your story! There is hope and help out there.
There is so value in what you just shared, not only is there help available, there is no shame in that help. If only more people would reach out when they are at the end of their personal rope.
Great post! I think it is very important to seek God in the loneliness of times!
What a great perspective!
Loneliness and depression are especially difficult to deal with around the holidays. Thanks for sharing your story. Many who are having suicidal thoughts don’t speak about them or reach out. Stories like yours help others to feel hope.
Thank you for continuing to spread awareness and shed light on this prevalent topic! So many people need support like this over the holidays.