~Suicide is a desperate attempt to escape suffering that has become unbearable.~
PHILIPSBURG:--- Amari is a teenager with social anxiety who has always felt a little different. In high school, life became really challenging for him. He had a hard time living up to his parent's standards for him and the social rules that dominated the school. Sometimes he thinks it would be easier if he would just cease to exist, not be here anymore. At first, the thought would just flash through his mind, but quickly the thought began to grow and his mind started to tell him that he might be right. It might be better if he just wasn’t here anymore. He wouldn’t have to deal with the pressure of his parents wanting him to do good or the pressure of his peers needing him to fit in.
John is a male in his forties struggling with chronic pain after an accident at work. Since then John hasn’t been able to work and his family has been struggling to make ends meet. John often thinks that he is a burden to his wife. She has to work 2 jobs to provide for him and the family. As a result of feeling guilty, he often withdraws and isolates himself. John has a strong belief that he should relieve his family; he thinks that it would be much easier for them if he was no longer here.
Catherine is a female in her mid-twenties. Throughout her life, she has been struggling with the remnants of the abuse she endured in her childhood. She feels that no one really understands what she is going through. She tries to be successful in life but somehow things tend to not go the way she would have hoped for. Catherine feels that no one would even notice if she would not be here anymore. Nobody cares about her, so what does it matter if she is dead or alive.
Amari, John, and Catherine are fictitious characters. While their stories might not be real, the thoughts and situations described can be very real and they might even be relatable. Perhaps you know someone in a similar situation or you have felt like this before. Recently the community on St. Maarten has been shaken by a few suicide incidents in a short period of time. Unfortunately, suicide is not uncommon. Worldwide 800.000 people commit suicide every year. This is 1 person every 40 seconds¹. Often people who commit suicide have been feeling lonely, depressed, or unhappy for a long time. It could be that they feel that nobody understands them and that it does not make any sense for them to be here on earth any longer. People who commit suicide often do not necessarily want to die, but they do want to get out of what seems to them like an endless situation.
Do you feel like committing suicide or do you know anyone who is feeling suicidal, ask for help! Your general practitioner can refer you to a mental health provider who can help you get grips with your suicidal thoughts and can help you give your life perspective again.
In need of urgent assistance? Call the Mental Health Foundation Crisis number: +1721-520-5556. All calls are CONFIDENTIAL.
