Category Archives: suicide prevention

I read an article about Sinead O’Connor this morning. It stated how she said that she would never sing again after losing her son to suicide a few months ago. Of course, there was “that” stupid comment made by one reader stating how she always made rash decisions and comments in “emotional” moments. “Emotional moments”.Continue reading “Sinead O’Connor”

It’s been almost 6 months. Six months of not hearing his voice. Six months of longing to hear it. Six months of falling asleep at night and whispering ” I love you Sam” and not hearing his reply. Six months of waking up every morning and remembering that he is gone. Six months of feelingContinue reading “Almost six months”

Today I bought a guitar. It’s beautiful. It’s glossy and it’s smooth. The hard shell black case is bare, and just waiting to be adorned with the type of stickers that musicians like to put on their cases. I wont be learning to play it however : I’m donating it to a wonderful cause calledContinue reading “Guitars for Vets”

January 26th…..” Bell Lets Talk” day.Where do we even start?There is so much stigma around mental health. And there shouldn’t be. I’ve heard people call out others as : ” weak”,” drama queen”,” attention-seeking”,“pathetic”,” nut job”, … the list goes on. I’ve seen people roll their eyes, or whisper about others who struggle. But thenContinue reading “It’s ” Bell Lets Talk” day. Why isn’t it everyday?”

I found out recently that Sam was taking three different prescribed medications at the time of his death: Fuoxetine ( Prozac), Buproprion ( Wellbutrin) and Latuda. In the weeks leading up to his suicide, Sam told me that he was felt he was starting to experience psychosis. He didn’t elaborate much, other than to tellContinue reading “Death by medication?”

I turned 56 yesterday. I used to omit the actual number: I’ve always sort of been in denial about growing older. I feel mentally that I stopped aging at 37. I’ve always felt much younger than my actual age, and I’ve been blessed with good genetics in that physically, I’m much younger than the 56Continue reading “My birthday”

Sometimes I feel like there is nothing between me and a complete mental breakdown. Sometimes I feel like my next moment will be my last competent thought before I dive into complete and utter madness. Sometimes, I wonder why the hell am I holding on to this semblance…this tiny minute strand of sanity. Why can’tContinue reading “Untitled”

The world moved forward, but in my heart I can not. Please understand this when I seem to not be ” there”, or if I’m not making a lot of sense. Most days, I’m exhausted from wearing the mask just to try to fit back in. The thing is… I don’t think I’ll ever trulyContinue reading “My mask”

It is early, on the last day of the year. In mere hours, the sun will be setting on 2021 forever, amidst celebration and resolutions made for many, to see us through the next 365 days. It has been… well, it has been a year. A year that many will be happy to move forwardContinue reading “New Years Eve”

Five days til Christmas,I wish that you were hereThe tree is lit, the candles brightI feel your spirit near. Four days til ChristmasThe tears begin to flowThe winter sky is openAnd it begins to snow Three days til ChristmasThe presents are all wrappedBut the tree is looking empty As my heart tries to adapt. MyContinue reading “First Christmas”

My son died 4 months ago tomorrow. He was 31. His dog Buddy was with him from the time he was 12. We didn’t think Buddy would be around for long after Sam died. But he is. He is 19. He went to stay with one of my other sons, but the stress was tooContinue reading “Buddy”

The morning Sam died, is etched in my mind, as clearly, as if it was just days ago. I woke up, to daylight streaming through my window. It was probably not long after the sun came up. I stretched, expecting it to be like any other day. I hadn’t yet checked my phone as IContinue reading “The morning he died”

I’m struggling. I don’t feel like I’m coping. Coming into the holidays is worse than I thought it would be. I still cant begin to imagine being in this world without my son Sam. Yet, here I am…living in a world that I can not imagine. It’s been almost four months. I thought it wouldContinue reading “Survive”

Have you ever had that feeling ” I can’t do this”? When I was 17 I joined the military. There was many times over the 12 weeks of basic training where I thought ” I can’t do this ” but I put my mind to whatever task was at hand; swallowed my fear or disgustContinue reading “I can’t”

My sister visited from Toronto this week. It was nice to have a distraction from what my life has become in the weeks gone by since that morning that the phone rang with the news about Sam. . My childhood was rife with accidents- the mauling by our family dog at the age of three;Continue reading “Do We Choose Our Life Paths?”

My mom has dementia. She has been in a nursing home for 3 years now. She has been in a steady decline and having a conversation with her now, is like having a conversation with someone using predictive text: It makes very little sense. I have been grieving the loss of my mom for moreContinue reading “Lucidity”

It sure feels like it. My every day feels like I’m facing a finality, like my time here is spiraling down. Is it real? Or is it just my mental state that’s crying out, telling me that the depression is starting to sink in. Or maybe it’s wishful thinking. When I was driving home fromContinue reading “Am I dying?”

Has the world always just been full of mean, rude people? Or has Covid isolation , or social media, just brought out the worst in us? I’m having one of those days: where so many emotions are hitting me at once. If I said I was a basket case, it would be an exageration, yetContinue reading “Trolls and Negative People. It’s a cruel world.”

This is my son Sam. He loved his dogs, he was kind and he was gentle. He was a soldier. He was the youngest of three boys in a family of 4 children ( the youngest is a girl). He was a brother to Kris Matt and Tessa. He was a gifted guitarist and heContinue reading “This is Sam”

If I hear ” your son would want you to be happy” one more time, I think I’m going to scream. Like, that is going to make me suddenly happy? That’s going to turn my despair around, and make me smile again? There is just…. no words to answer that. Tonight, my nerves are raw.Continue reading “What Sam Would Want”

I’m feeling the darkness tonight. Its strange how it hits without any warning. I was OK earlier: tired, but ok. But now I’m not. It’s a desperate feeling: A most disconcerting feeling. I don’t want to be. I simply don’t want to continue to feel this pain. And that means, essentially, that I want toContinue reading “The Darkness”

I belong to a support group for grieving the loss of a child. In fact, I actually belong to a few. But yesterday I saw someone say how angry they get when they see someone post that their dog or cat or any pet for that matter, dies. This person stated that they just wantedContinue reading “Comparing Apples to Oranges”