With the deaths of several famous persons over the past few years there have been many tweets, FB Posts, articles and rants about Mental Illness, Addictions, Depression, and so similar issues.
It is all so confusing because so many people post things that indicate their own confusion.
It was already a hodgepodge of contradictory thoughts when we heard that Robin Williams also had Parkinson's! The reporters breathlessly broke into programs and announced it with wide eyed intensity. "Robin Williams depression was exacerbated by Parkinson's!!!"
As if that explains anything.
Few of the articles were insightful and even fewer were educational. Sadly, most were designed to:
Defend the Deceased Person
Attack the Deceased Person
Explain the actions of the Deceased Person
Attack society, the family, the doctors, society or God for what they did or did not do.
Attack the media for their treatment of the Deceased Person
In other words, they were self-serving and often hysterical.
No one can explain why a person does it. (Except the Person and even then it will be confusing.)
Secondly, no one makes a person do those things or feel so badly they have to do them. Millions of people face trials, diseases, attacks, bullying, poverty, daily as great or greater without ending it all. The reasons are within the Person and we cannot explain them.
Third, we cannot stop a person if they are committed to do it. We cannot save another person. No government program, church sermon or book can stop someone from carrying out a plan. Parents cannot do it, preachers cannot do it and counselors cannot do it without the "permission" of the Person. It is because we have "Free Will".
Fourth, we can sometimes intervene and motivate a person to change his/her plans. It takes love, listening and lots of patience with intense prayers to encourage a human to change his/her course of action.
So, do not give up trying. if they refuse to stop doing drugs, throw the gun away or pour the poison out, it is not our fault. This fact can motivate us to work hard without taking responsibility for their Free Will.
Fifth, taking medicine and talking to a counselor will help. In fact, counseling usually helps. And, counseling plus good medicine and exercise really help relieve deep depression.
In 25 years of running a clinic we have had only two or three people end their lives. That is remarkable because we have worked with thousands of humans who were feeling despair. Here is the good news! Thousands received great relief.
My own mother was healed of deep depression through counseling and prayers after dad died.
Sixth, God will not leave you so do not give up on God.
Seventh, read some good materials. Try Power Christian Thinking for starters.
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