I was scrolling around google yesterday and saw a notification of a former basketball player Jānis Timma committing suicide. He was only 32. He did it on the birthday of his ex-wife who had filed for divorce recently and left a note to her when his body was found. I also recently read about a Korean actor committing suicide a couple weeks ago. He was also in his early 30s. Lives gone way too soon and of course we don't know what was going on in their personal lives that led to them giving up and losing hope. These people left behind kids and family. It made me realize that a lot of us are still battling each day which is a broad statement but it seems to be getting worse.
The times of COVID were hard for everyone and a lot of people are still recovering from it. I talked to a patient at work yesterday and she was talking about not being understood by her family because in the black community mental health is not taken seriously. Some families straight up tell you "We don't do that" when asked about their mental health and suicide thoughts but this shouldn't be the case. I remember reading an article a couple years ago about Nfl player Calvin Ridley taking some time off to deal with his mental health because it was affecting his performance and his life. The hate he was getting from people especially football fans was unbelievable.
This person is human like all of us and is trying to get help before it got worse and he was being criticized by fans for it and was being called week. Imagine the reaction they would have had if he had decided to take his own life instead. People would be showing their condolences like they cared and would have asked why he didn't get help when he could. It’s a sad world we live in. Famous athletes like Demar DeRozan, Kevin Love, Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka have all talked about their battles with their mental health and have opened up about getting help. Kevin love had a panic attack in the middle of a game. It is not easy out here and it seems like these days it takes a lot of strength to keep going but this strength cannot be found alone.
A Whistleblower named Suchir Balaji was recently found dead at the age of 26 by suicide. He was found inside his apartment. Everyone has their own demons they are battling every day that no one knows about. A writer of famous shows like Snowfall and others named Aziza Barnes also committed suicide at the age of 32. Same age as Jānis Timma. No one knows what these people were going through but it’s obvious there was no more hope and suicide was seen as the only answer. It is important for us to let our loved ones know that we care and are there for them especially if they are open with their struggles. The world is only getting harder and we need each other more than ever.
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