Depression and suicide are topics that most people shy away from. It’s a sad topic. It doesn’t “feel good”. And most people have absolutely no idea how to handle another person’s depressing thoughts. And that applies doubly for hearing suicidal thoughts.
Nevertheless, let’s get real. A lot of people have been there at the bottom of the pit of life. And many of those people in the pit are ready to end it all. Even those who deny it, they’ve at least thought the thought, no matter how quickly they may have dismissed it. No one is emotionally invincible. (I know I’m not.) We all crumble and fall at one time or another. (I’ve definitely fallen, crumbled, crashed and burned.) Life gets hard sometimes. That’s a fact we can all agree on.
Like the pic at the top of this post implies, not all wounds heal quickly, or even at all. I’ve heard the analogy that emotional and psychological wounds are much like locking a wrecked vehicle in a garage, then not touching it for 20 years. Whenever you open that garage door, that vehicle will still be wrecked. Likewise, it is the same with the wounds we hold within us. Makes sense when you think of it like that. It is a pretty accurate visual. Right?!?
“Hope deferred makes the heartsick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.” Proverbs 13:12
I love the verse above! I heard a pastor equate this to the ultimate cause for depression, and subsequently to suicide as well. Depression is indeed a state one feels when “all hope” seems lost. Without hope, your heart essentially becomes “sick”. Yet, when hope returns, desires return as well. And, hope and desire definitely act as a “tree of life” within our very beings.
Therefore, hope is a must to be able to rebound from encounters with depression and suicide. It’s hope that has helped me in my own battle in those areas. This is why I call myself a “hope fanatic”.
Therefore HOPE is the most important thing you can give anyone.
This is exactly what I try to give every person I come across. Seriously. They do not have to be outwardly showing signs of depression or suicide. And why should we wait until our fellow man has reached that point? Be kind. Spread hope.
Sometimes just being open to letting people rant and vent is enough. It tells them that someone cares. Someone values them enough to actually listen. And the simple feeling of being valued and cared for can go a long, long way. Seriously, at the end of the day, isn’t that what we all want in our most basest of emotional needs? It’s the inborn need to be “needed”, to be valued, and to be important in the life of others. It’s this feeling that gives us hope. In doing so, hope is what prevents us from becoming stagnate; it’s what keeps us moving forward.
“Hope and hopelessness are both contagious. It’s up to you what you spread.” ~ Graham Cooke
Furthermore, I really don’t give a flip what my experiences have been. I don’t really care what my current day has been like. If you know me and need help, call me. Seriously. CALL ME. If not me, then call someone else in your life. Reach out in some way. There is absolutely no reason for you to be sitting in despair when I myself, or someone close to you, are ready and willing to reach out and hold your hand through your “crap”.
In the event that you do not have anyone you can call on, then you can always reach out the the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Or, if you prefer a christian hotline for someone to talk to, you can reach out to the Troy Brewer Ministries hotline at 1-877-413-0888
Regardless of who you call. Know this: YOU… Are NOT alone. Life is not lived in a solitary vacuum. And you absolutely do not have to go through the worst life has to offer in solitude. So, reach out. Ask for help.
Remember, we are not alone. And we are not meant to do life alone.
There is hope. You are loved. Pass it on!
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The image of a wrecked car in a garage is perfect. Cars and depression are two things that aren’t going to fix themselves.
You’re absolutely right. I love that analogy.