<p>mkl-
It was pretty clear from your post that you understand how antidepressants work. You are exactly right, Whe the antidepressant begins to work, and the person begins to feel somwhat better, somewhat more energized, their potential to act on suicidal thoughts increases.This is especially of concern if they begin to feel bad again, as they remember how awful it felt to be in that abyss, and they don’t want to get stuck in that black hole again… Another risk factor is if a person is away from their normal support systems- the things that keep them going. When I was in grad school, my roommate’s mother was on vacation in Florida, away from her precious dogs. She had a history of depression and alcohol abuse. You can guess the rest of the story. It was awful. I’ll never forget the scream when the phone rang.</p>
<p>rahul- I agree with simba. If it gets to the point that suicide feels like a relief, you are in a very dangerous place. Please tell your family- and get some professional help. These thoughts and feelings will go away. You just might need help with the process.</p>
<p>Depression is such a lonely state. I think there’s a range of “I should seek help.” Part of it stems from not wanting to burden others with one’s problems and only until the extreme has been reached (on the brink of commiting suicide) is anything actually acknowledged. The progression elicits the “I can handle myself NOW” sentiment and the seeking of help is prolonged and the issue exacerbated. </p>
<p>“I will be there when you need me - call me any time” </p>
<p>This is difficult for someone who is depressed to actually understand and follow through.</p>
<p>I am so sorry to hear about your friends son. It is devastating when people suicide.</p>
<p>My best friend hung herself a few years back. As horrible as it was (is) in some ways i found the idea a bit liberating. It made me see the world a bit differently and made me think that we do choose to be alive, in some ways it gave me a sense of power…a new meaning to Choose Life (at the time i was quite depressed). </p>
<p>Alot of people think suicide is selfish, i think its selfish for me to want them to live in pain so i dont have to deal with thier death. In the end i dealt with my friends death by respecting her choice, it was her life and her choice to end it. Although obviously i would much prefer that they were alive and we were able to try to work out ways to make their life better… but sometimes people really do try for a long time before they chose to end thier life. Sorry to blab on about my life. It has been on my mind lately so i think i need to vent and it is related to the thread so it came pouring out.</p>
<p>Every case is different so i am not sure what factors drove your friends son to do this. Sometimes there are signals but unfortunately we dont recognize them until its too late. Aparantly its common that people who chose to commit suicide actually become happier before they do it as they feel relieved or something. Because they become happier alot of the time parents and friends are relieved and think there child is no longer depressed then all of a sudden they kill themselves. </p>
<p>With things like depression (or emotional baggage) I think sometimes its dangerous to assume that all problems can be fixed… if you tell that to some people they will just think you dont understand thier problem. It is such a tough situation… </p>
<p>I really am sorry to hear about your friends son. It really is sad (sad seems like such an understatement)</p>
(sad seems like such an understatement)</p>