Comments:
i lost my son august 6 2003 - he killed himself by hanging - i am still in shock-Billy grew up down the coast in byron shire - the community there has just carried me with so much love and support - Billy was 17 years old - i thought he was just going through the usual teenage turbulance that we all seem to go through - his brother and sister went through - that i went through at his age - never in a million years did i have any idea that it would lead to this tragedy - nor did i know of the tradgic amount of people that suicide everyday - i dont know the answers - but i do feel this epidemic should be highly exposed to the public -i have battled all my life with depression - i call it going into the pit - i have always kept it secrect to family and friends - i did try at various times to get help from counselors, self help books, even called lifeline a few times when i was at the very bottom of the pit and not being able to find a way out - what has helped me manage my depression is to train myself to look for enjoyable things in life and be busy as much as possible - i found when i am totally focused on other enjoyable things my mind gets off my negative feelings and i feel happiness - also what helps is appreciating the beauty of nature which is all round us- latley i have found one more thing that helps me cope - spirituality - i find great comfort from the Scriptures where it says a time will come when all those who died will come to life again and that suffering, pain and death will all be things of the past - Revelation 21:3,4 - i feel for those who have been left behind to collect their shattered lives and have found my community of Mullumbimby, Brunswick Heads, Ocean Shores, New Brighton, Golden Beach and surrounding areas overwhelming love and support - from these wonderful people i have seen practicle help which could be established in all communities for people going through crisis situations -one example - different people dropping over meals each evening, different ones offering massages, visits often, people willing to stay with you, help cleaning, shopping, driving you places, etc. - support teams can be set up in every community - when i recover in time from my gorgeous boys death i want to be part of a team out there in my community helping others with similar crisis and tragedies - i havent found talking to strangers such as councellors or taking mind numbing drugs of any help - we have to help ourselves and each other - my love and compassion to all you out there either going through depression or shattered by the loss of their dear ones Marette

Comments:
I am sorry for all the loses that everybody here has had to cop with. I myself lost me best friend to suicide and have also been extremely suicidal myself for the past 5 years. I have actually tried to kill myself but someone had found me. I would just like to agree with the girl who had been to hospital before, it is hard to ask for help and sometimes when you do you don't ask the right person, they don't do anything and then you don't have the courage to ask again. I feel it everyday, I think it is just depression, it's like a cage, once you're their it's like you can never return to the real world again, you always think about it constantly. And I agree also it doesn't matter how much love is around you, you can still feel alone. It is underestimated how many people actually feel this way. Being a person that wants to commit suicide, you just don't believe that there are other ppl that feel the same way, but there are thousands. It's so hard to describe but its the worst feeling you can have and death can just seem like a dream sometimes because it is just a horrible feeling/thought. I have actually gotton help before also but it didn't help. I don't really know what can. I am sorry for all your losses, love to everyone who has loss someone here but also love to those who aren't, because trust me they were going through a bad time on earth even if you gave them all the love in the world, it wasn;t anybody's fault, don't ever feel to blame, I just wish we could all find a way to make the feelings that these people have go away somehow. With Hope anonymous

Comments:
It has been 10 months now Mathew, maybe after the one year mark i will be able to let go and start my life again.I cannot beleive how fast it has gone and i am still feeling like sh## and don't want to face the world. I promise i will snap out of it, as i know you would be dissapointed and probably not at rest yet. I don't mean to make you feel bad, I just miss you so much it hurts. I think I may understand why you picked me to find you, as we were so close as a brother and big sister could be. I just wanted to look after you and was always there when you needed me, but maybe not enough in the end. I think you percieved me as a strong person to be able to find you like that and sorry for my reaction, but maybe now you may understand if you are watching, how weak i am to myself. As usual I LOVE AND MISS YOU DEARLY MATHEW. I just wish the phone would ring in the middle of the night and I would know who it would be, and I would come to help you out of any crisis.SO MUCH LOVE YOUR BIG SIS CHRISTIE.XXXXXX

Comments:
I commend you on raising awareness of suicide, and bringing it out of the corner into which it has been swept. My mother took her own life 20 years ago, at the age of 39. She actually did it while hospitalised from a previous suicide attempt. She left behind me and my two younger sisters (we were 16, 12 and 9 at the time). We still live with the loss every day, and still ask ourselves how she could leave us to grow up without her. She now has 5 grandchildren who will never know their nanna and how special she was... We were told by friends and family not to tell anyone she had committed suicide, it was something that we were made ashamed of. For years I told people my mother died of cancer. It took a long time to realise that she didn't take her own life out of lack of love for my sisters and myself. I always wondered what I did to make her choose death over watching us grow into women... Now I realise she was incredibly depressed, but in those days the Dr prescribed Valium and sent her on her way. My thoughts and prayers are with you all who have lost someone in this tragic way.