When a loved one dies, it’s always painful. When a parent dies by suicide, especially a mother’s suicide, it has an even more painful and potentially devastating effect.
We have seen a great number of suicides in the news.
The apparent suicide this month of Anthony Bourdain has sparked some people to post some very disparaging remarks and videos.
Owen Benjamin had a lot to say on the subject. Apparently, his father used the word “suicide” as more of a threat. He described it as his father basically announcing that he was going out to commit suicide and Benjamin following behind him to save his father if he actually went through with it.
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That’s very sad. It’s hard to believe a parent would do that to their child. There are many types of depression and there are also those that use threats of suicide as a means of getting attention.
Those people who kill themselves without making an announcement, in hopes someone may stop them, are ready to die. They don’t want to be stopped. They aren’t looking for attention.
Benjamin’s rant caught the attention of a friend of mine on Twitter.
I had the luxury of sitting down with Sarah Corriher this week to discuss the tragic events that took place when she was just a child.
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Sarah hello, and thank you for sitting down with me to talk about this traumatic event in your past. Tell us a little bit about yourself, your family, and what it was like for you growing up?
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”I was born in 1990 in Sheffield England. My father abandoned my mother when I was only two years old. I have four older brothers. My mom was a single mother up until the time she committed Suicide.
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I can imagine how hard it must have been for your mom, trying to raise five children on her own. I’m sure this is a very hard subject to talk about and I am very honored that you are allowing me to ask these tough questions.
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“Owen Benjamin’s misconceptions about suicide are pretty pervasive, a lot of people have them and I would like to correct them.”
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I understand. I’m sure everyone has their own understanding of the subject. It is a very hard subject to talk about. How old were you when your mom committed suicide?
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“When I was six years old, my mom committed Suicide”. This is a topic that is difficult for me to talk about with, mostly strangers, so I hope you will kind of forgive me for that. I do think that this has the potential to help some people.”
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I think it will as well. I’m going to ask a few more questions and then we will have the video that you were kind enough to create for us. Did you go to live with your dad after your mom's death?
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“My father didn’t want to be a parent at that time. I was sent to live with my aunt on my mother’s side.” “ My uncle was very abusive physically and mentally and my aunt was mentally abusive.” “It wasn’t a good fit at all. My half-brothers went to live with their father.”
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Did you get to visit your brothers?
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“No, not really. I went to live with my father when I was twelve. He became violent and I needed to find a new home. I was very close to a family that took me in at age sixteen. They are my family now.”
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How old are you now, if I may ask?
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“I am twenty-seven.”
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You have been through a lot in such a short time, Sarah. I want to thank you so much for creating the video for people to watch and for sitting down with me to tell us a little about yourself.
Please watch this video Sarah was kind enough to create. It includes the letter her mom left behind for her and her brothers.
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Suicide is very public with social media. A sweet young girl took her life “live” on Facebook last year. She hanged herself from a tree, and that is where her mom found her. When you are suffering from depression, “death” is the only soothing answer you can come up with.
We must be open about this subject and help those in need. Calling them cowards will not make them think twice but may speed up the process.
If you are suffering from depression, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline @ 1-800-273-8256 They are available 24 hours a day.
<b>By: Lexy </b>
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Powerful article and professional interview on a topic we should all be addressing within our families. The video is gut-wrenching. Sarah was very brave to make it. Her poise and positivity are wonderful.
This article really touched me. I had never really understood how someone could take their own life. Sarah’s video made me understand that many people who commit suicide really believe they are doing it for the benefit of others. While they are totally wrong, because it helps no one, I better understand their mindset. Sarah’s Mums suicide note brought tears to my eyes and sadness for the little girl that lost her Mum and such a young age. We need to do better as a society to let everyone know they matter and bring something important to the lives of their loved ones. Excellent article and video.
Awesome interview, article & video. I commend you Sarah for sharing such a devistating story. Always one of my arguments in the 2A fight. Most ppl who reach that point of no return literally feel that those they love are better off not bearing the burden of their life that appears to rarely improve. The LIE the devil tells them.
Thank you for sharing your story Sarah. The letter from you mum was heartbreaking. I'm sorry your mum left you at such a young age. I am glad that you connected with your new family. I have felt that people who commit suicide were selfish, but you have let me see this from a different perspective. Hopefully we can all be encouraging to friends and family if we notice depression setting in and get them help before they go down this path.
I have never seen this comedian before in the first video, but I truly felt bad for him. He obviously could use some help getting past the way his father treated him growing up. The anger he was displaying seemed to come from the fear that he was remembering at the thought of his father leaving him by suicide. I hope he gets some help to overcome those feelings.
This is a very important topic that we should all consider when dealing with people suffering from severe depression. Thank you for showing us two sides of this Lexy.
We need to address topics like suicide more often. There are people out there that need to know they aren't alone and there are people that love them. Sarah opened up my eyes to see that suicide is the end result of an illness and not just a selfish act.