April 17, 2018

Two Stories of Suicide With Different Endings

Two Stories of Suicide With Different Endings
What determines when depression ends in suicide? The proper mental health treatment is always crucial. But, sometimes seemingly random events can push someone towards life or death. Today's guests present two stories of suicide -with many similarities- yet with different endings. Tired of struggling with family, work and depression, Kevin Berthia climbed on top of the Golden Gate Bridge to end his life. Fortuitously, he was talked down by someone who reminded him of his one reason to live. Om Devi, author of A Dialogue with Depression, tells of her husband's depression, which she felt helpless to stop from ending in suicide. Both stories illuminate key factors that can mean the difference between life or death: the need for human contact, a smiling mask hiding one's pain, mental fatigue from what seems like hopeless struggles, failures of the mental health system, and whether someone is there for you in those final moments....