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I hope nobody will take such a heavy burden on himself.

There's nothing like knowing that someone you know through the internet is suicidal...and that you have no way to do anything about it.

I don't know if you can say it's "never" someone else's fault, but I don't think it's OFTEN someone else's fault.

Nobody on FR could have done anything. NOBODY. I don't even expect his wife could have done anything. I'm sure she has been fighting this with him for so long...doing her best, but there it is.

We can be compassionate with each other, and I think we usually are, but we're not perfect and sometimes we'll still squabble when we feel irritated with someone else's position on an issue. If you disagree with someone over the internet, you're STILL not responsible for his or her depression.

If it gets too unfriendly for someone here, there are so many other options. I doubt anyone ever died ONLY of a flamewar. At least I hope not.

you have addressed some valid issues and make good points.

I sense that for many people problems build & it gets to be almost a domino effect. There is no where to turn (you believe) that you can find warmth/support.

I come to FR because it "feels good".. It fills a need. If I were truly down / depressed & came here & was shot down I think it would be another addition to camel's back.

did anyone ever commit suicide from flaming? Something we might never know. Many people disappear.. Differing interests, computer death, stroke, etc...

If death, That person may have not died from a flaming but it surely did not help, now did it? It is hard to contain yourself when someone is being a jerk in your opinion (I say you in a sense of all of us, not you personally Cat). Just like humor can be a pretense for depression.. obstinance can also & rebellion.

"I don't know if you can say it's "never" someone else's fault, but I don't think it's OFTEN someone else's fault."

Hi,

Okay, let me jump in here and actually publically admit something. At several points in my life, I have gotten very depressed and done stupid things--cutting up my arms, getting my husband's hunting rifle out of the closet.

But I was never able to cross the line.

You know what is really sad and sick? When I didn't do it, I hated myself even more for not having the guts to really do it.

I don't know if Chris ever felt like that, but it wouldn't surprise me if he felt that way sometimes after his unsuccessful attempts.

I mean, I never really made a serious attempt and I was mad at myself for being "chicken." Imagine if you were that far, I don't know how to describe it, but that far into desperation--I imagine that the self-loathing would be even worse if you made a serious attempt and failed.

I don't have feelings like that anymore. I'm very lucky--so much of it is due to my study of tracking. This is not the place to go into it.... but let me just say that, with any faith-related belief system, I have learned that suicidal thoughts are prompted by evil (the dark side, etc.), and they are not easy to resist...

The impulse to destroy is powerful and can be seen in so many facets of life.

I love Emmanuel Swedenborg's "Heaven and Hell." He says that the reason that both good and evil exist is to give mankind a choice. (17th century Swedish mystic)

We face that choice every day, every moment.

"Deliver us from evil"--the temptation got too great for Chris. But you know, I also believe that the dark side hits people the hardest when they have great potential for good.

Not only did Chris have potential, he shared it with FR, and he will be remembered... And so even though at one moment in his life, the temptation was too great, and the dark outweighed the light, that doesn't mean that after his death, he isn't still shining light.

After all, look at what this thread has turned into in a few posts--a serious discussion of the nature of the Internet, of suicide, of what one can do if someone is suicidal...

Yes, Chris... you're still Freeping! :)