Suicide

Recently, I haven't really been posting much on my blog except mostly poems that I have composed in the past or at the moment. However, I would like to tackle a very serious issue that has recently shocked the world... SUICIDE.

Within this week, two famous celebrities took their own lives in apparent suicide... Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain. Kate Spade is an American fashion designer famous for her stylish bags while Anthony Bourdain is an American celebrity chef who has even been to the Philippines a few times. These two are very famous and successful people in their respective fields, which bring suicide and mental health issues come to the fore once again.

Nobody chooses to have mental health issues and suicidal tendencies. Anyone can have it and it seems difficult to detect. Someone who looks so happy and is doing well on the outside could be suffering on the inside. Whether you belong to whatever race, gender, social status, religion, age, height, weight, or whatever category, nobody is immune to mental health issues.

I see so many friends and acquaintances who post on social media about heartache, loneliness, depression or whatever emotional turmoil they may be suffering. There are even those who joke about taking their lives or use the suicide terms in desensitized manners. The frequent use of icons such as the knife 🔪, pointing gun to the head 😢🔫, and the expressions in Filipino such as "bigti na" (hang yourself) for example, all imply how lightly some may take this issue.

For me, however, I personally know some friends who actually almost took their lives in failed suicide attempts and I also personally knew someone who even took his own life, putting a shotgun to his head. It is scary and it is a serious issue, not a laughing matter. I may be talking about my friends or people I know but as I said, anyone can be affected. I have a confession to make as well, even I have visions of taking my own life at times.

However, I am glad I am a member of a spiritual organization that believes in life after death and what happens to you when you commit the greatest sin of taking your own life. If it weren't for my faith strengthened in time with this organization, a support system that feels so much like family, and friends who inspire me so much, I probably would have taken my life a long time ago already. Indeed, my faith has saved me.

In one of the books in our organization entitled "Golden Teachings" (Chapter 32 The importance of training), it says...

"Life has its ups and downs. They can be likened to waves. People would not make progress in life without these ups and downs...

There will surely be times in life when you feel like crying or when you suffer so much that you feel as if you want to die. This is what's called 'being at the bottom of a wave.' The life of a person who knows how to endure such times and the life of a person who does not are very different.

This is why it is so important to develop our ability to endure and persevere. When we develop this ability, we become strong and tenacious. These qualities are essential if we are to make it through life successfully."

Indeed, feeling so low or feeling too much pain and suffering can lead to the idea of taking one's life to end it all. However, it is far from the truth in my belief, the pain and suffering will not end when you take your life. In fact, it will be amplified up to tenfold. Our physical body is somewhat a shield that minimizes the pain and without it, the full impact of pain and suffering can be felt, multiplied exponentially.

In one of the movies of Robin Williams (who also committed suicide) entitled "What Dreams May Come," his wife in the movie committed suicide. My belief in what happens to someone taking one's life is somewhat similar to what happens to the wife. The soul is immediately brought to a hell-like state and realm. The big difference is that in the movie, the wife was saved by the husband's love so quickly but it could really take hundreds or thousands of years if one will indeed be saved.

Enough philosophical or religious musings, all I am saying is suicide is never the answer. Suicide doesn't end your suffering. You will feel the same pain and suffering times ten or more.

I realize that if even I am not free from thinking such suicidal thoughts, I know that a lot who may read this may have at one point thought about suicide. Or if not, you all know someone who may be blatantly or silently feeling depressed or suffering so much. Reach out and empathize. Seek help and give help. We all need someone who believes in us, makes us feel that we are not alone and helps us feel a lot better. Find or be that someone. You are special and you are loved.