[jigsaw]

A note to all non-depressives reading this thread:

Regardless of how you view depression, if you know someone who is or may be
clinically depressed, love them unconditionally.

Absolutely, positively, 100% of the time.   No exceptions.

As a depressive, I have never met a non-depressive who can really understand
depression's hell.   Depression can be extremely difficult to escape and your
unqualified love may be a significant part of a depressive's lifeline.

Also, I believe that those left behind by someone who passes on by his own hand
should not blame themselves. Depression can be brutally powerful and often
near-impossible to recognize.

My sincere prayers to TILH and his family.   May TILH rest in peace.

[Dane]

I have been monitoring these two threads and will add my 2 cents worth, FWIW.

Suicide is not noble. I can empathize with TILH's situation, but taking one's life and the pain it causes to his loved ones, in which they will be internally taking the blame for LITH's sucide for years is an inherantly selfish act.

Maybe it is the way our society morphed, where only "me" matters.

Prayers to TILH's family and loved ones.

[Burn24]

Thank you for posting this. I'm sure there are many people like me who are carefully reading these depression threads without posting, so please keep up the good work.

I have a depressive in my own family and have been trying so hard to get through to her, to talk about the problem, but nothing seems to work. So, unconditional love it is, until hopefully things get better.

[snopercod]

love them unconditionally

My wife does me that way, even when I'm in the dumps like I have been sometimes since I lost my job 15 months ago.

Occasionally she'll ask me, why don't you see a doctor and get some drugs for depression? I tell here there are two reasons.

1. I might want to run for office, work at a nuclear plant, or reinstate my security clearance some day. You can't do those things with a history of "mental problems".

2. The problem is not chemical, I have real good external reasons to be depressed, like;

   • I have no job, no money, no friends, and no status. After a life of building nuclear plants and launching space shuttles, my life has come down to keeping the fire in the fireplace going all winter, and emptying the cat litter box.

   • I am unable to engage in any of the pastimes that used to give me pleasure (like flying), and I am unable to finish any of the projects that I started like that Lancair 235 in my basement.

But when I was in college, I used to pray that God would help me to be wise. I figure this situation is all part of my training.

Hey, at least my house and cars are paid for, and my wife loves me unconditionally.