Breaking the Social Stigma Surrounding Depression and Suicide

My family was forever changed on the morning of November 20, 2009. My dad, who had been diagnosed with clinical depression several years before, took his own life.

Sadly, I soon found out that I was not alone. In the United States alone, more than half a million people attempt suicide every year. Approximately 30,000 people complete suicide making it the 11th leading cause of death in this country.

In the days and months following my dad's death, I looked for an answer to the question, "Why?" He never talked about suicide or wanting to end his life. My family was taken by complete surprise.

What I've since learned about suicide makes my heart hurt that I didn't know and recognize the signs, and at least attempt to do things differently...not that anything I could do would guarantee a different outcome, but at least there would be the chance that he would find a way through his pain instead of trying to end it suddenly.

Most people who kill themselves suffer from depression, oftentimes undiagnosed. There is a social stigma surrounding depression. It is typically misunderstood as someone feeling sad over a particular situation. But depression isn't just about being a little bit blue.

Depression is a mental disorder that causes a chemical imbalance in the brain. Just like any other disease, even people who have happy, well-adjusted lives can suffer from depression. Getting depression is involuntary, it does not discriminate. It is not a moral failing, personal weakness or something one can just snap out of. Depression can be as destructive and deadly as cancer.

People with depression are sick and do not think like a typical person. They are consumed with emotional pain that becomes unbearable. They do not see any way out, feel hopeless and helpless, and oftentimes seek a way to end this pain. Suicide is someone's permanent solution to a temporary, treatable condition. Healthy people do not commit suicide.

My dad had so much to live for. He loved us all so much, was looking forward to retiring in a few years and was enjoying his time with the grandkids. But none of that could erase his depression. I still do not fully understand the darkness that consumed my dad in the days leading up to his death, and truthfully hope I never will, but I do know one thing. If depression could lead my dad to suicide, it could lead anyone to it.

If you suspect someone you know suffers from depression, please seek treatment. There is help. There is hope.