re: Suicide is now the 10th leading cause of death in the US

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The argument of mental health being a stigma is beyond absurd, especially in the PC society we live in where people bend over backwards for ANY medical condition.

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Or maybe.. There is a better understanding of mental health today than ever before.

This was days after Katrina, but someone asked my mom and her husband for a favor. It was the son of my mom's husband's daughter's ex-husband (I know, that sounds trashy or whatever else yall come up with), but his girlfriend's parents home flooded and they had no where to go so he called my mom and asked them if they could stay with them for awhile.

It's something I will never forget, but I went over to my mom's house after work.. And I was outside.. And the husband (the one whose house flooded) came outside and just sat down. I've never seen someone with so much sorrow and pain in their eyes. He was zoned out as if he was in his own world. Later on my mom told me that he actually suffered with mental illness for a few years and had finally been showing signs of getting things together.. And just like that, after the storm hit, whatever progress he made went out of the window.

That situation stayed with me for awhile and it all came down to the look I saw in that man's eyes. It was something I have never seen in a person before.

I am not saying everyone who kills themselves are truly battling with mental illness, but most people who kill themselves are likely dealing with some type of mental illness. Think about what it would take to drive someone to do that? Why would someone with a family, a good job, etc just up and decide "you know what? I really don't want to live anymore. There really isn't a reason why I don't want to live anymore. I feel good, I love my family, working is going as good as it can, but frick it".