How Do You Stop the Pain

Pain is real. Pain can become very intense. Pain can kill. There are so many reasons for the pain going through our friends and families. The sad part is that addiction and suicide seem to becoming more and more common. We need to help stop the pain.

I read of another overdose today. I cried. I didn't know the young man, but a friend of mine did and he was a good kid. He could've easily taken the path of suicide that my daughter, Heather, took, but he didn't choose that path. The beginning of the path was still the same, mental illness. It kills so many people. Yes, the variations are different, but the ending is the same. A new world for the survivors. A before and an after. Nothing is ever the same for those left behind.

I have heard many cruel people say that those that die from overdose deserve it. They were stupid. No, they aren't stupid. The pain is just that intense. When you have a bad day, do you ever reach for a drink? Well, I know my daughter did. It let her have the courage to pull the trigger. It also helps many have the courage looking for a way out of the pain. The pain is that intense. Some reach for a needle. No they aren't stupid. They aren't dumb. They are looking for a way away from the pain. Pain can stop the brain process. Pain can cause desperation. Pain can kill.

When I was younger, I had attempted suicide. I didn't succeed, but I still had the pain. Yes, my next solution was drugs. By all accounts, I should have easily become another statistic of a drug overdose. I had a good friend just make a bet with me that I couldn't do one day without the chemicals. It was enough to wake me up and I stopped the chemicals. I can't say that that stopped the depression, but I did realize the pain that I would leave behind.

I want all of you to think. When you read about a suicide or an overdose, think about the root of the problem. Think about the mental illness that is ripping through our world. Think of the funerals that you have attended. Think of the people that are left behind. Instead of condemning the ill, work towards sharing the cause. Mental Illness. If we all talk about it more, instead of hiding it in the dark recesses of our minds, together, we might make a difference. Together, we might start seeing more hope. We might start to see less obituaries.