Spring Suicides SOS

Today, my friend from High School (Germany), texted me to tell me about how things have been going.  She sent it to my old-style not-smart cell phone and I started getting tired of constantly having to scroll down, so I forwarded it to my gmail - it was pretty long. In the text, she wrote about how difficult life has been.  She had an argument last night and she became so depressed, she decided that she would commit suicide the next day.  In her mind, it was the last straw and life was just too hard.  So she was going to commit suicide today but thankfully, decided not to - phew!  I think she'd gone a whole year without contemplating suicide which I think is a big achievement!

I was glad that she made an active decision not to, instead of today becoming another failed attempt - or worse.  She now wants to live so that her children won't be branded as "the kid who's mother committed suicide"...  I'm glad she now has something that is making her want to live.  But she's going through a tough time so I don't know if this will be enough motivation.  She said she just wants somebody to say "Good job!" and let her know that she is doing things right, doing things well, that someone does appreciate all of the mundane housework, etc that she's doing, that it's not all in vain...  And for someone to understand how hard it is for her to even get up in the morning because of her depression, let alone live the life of a "normal" housewife and mother of two young kids.

I've talked to her about God, Jesus, forgiveness, love, hope, have sent her a couple of things...  In her text, she wrote that she cannot pray because she does not believe in God.

My SOS to you is this.  Pray that she will open her heart to the Holy Spirit knocking.  Pray that she will be able to have the courage to go to a new place with new people and visit a church nearby 'cause it's something that's really hard for people with depression.  She doesn't drive so takes public transportation everywhere but has to swallow a few pills before she can do so 'cause of various anxieties and phobias.  Pray that other encouragers will come alongside her.  Pray for her marriage.  He's stressed and tired.  He's tired of caring for a wife with depression too.  He's a friend of mine too from the same HS.  Pray for the health of her children, especially her daughter as she's developed signs of psychological distress.  Her daughter's in the first grade, just one year older than our Juhee.

I always thought that more suicides happened in the winter.  I'd heard that depression is worse in the winter when it's darker for longer and it's cold.  I'd heard some statistic about the most suicides being committed on the day that the night is longest.  But recently, I heard from an expert on depression that spring is actually when the most suicides occur.  In Eastern Asian countries, for those that are not depressed, it's because of the pressure from entrance exams or "not good enough" results after.  Or not getting the "right" job and letting people down.  For those that are depressed, the winter months are usually really tough and they have very little energy.  In fact, for many of them, they actually have too little energy to attempt suicide.  In the spring, they have a bit more energy - which also means just enough energy to attempt suicide.  I was so shocked when I found out about this...

Here's a bit more info on suicides in and outside of Japan.  The links are from an old blog post that was started but never finished.  Suicide has become very real to me since I became reacquainted with my friend from HS several years ago through Facebook.  I was so sad to find out out that the bright, cheerful, outgoing girl I once knew had been suffering from depression after being bullied at college when she and her family returned to Japan.  Bullying...  At college...  Because she spoke English and had grown up abroad...  When she first told me, my response was, "Bullying at college?" "Jenny, this is Japan.  Bullying happens everywhere and anywhere, regardless of age."  I guess that's true for most countries, but something seems different here in Japan...

Saving 10,000
Third Day - I Need a Miracle
Suicide is a Lie

Depending on the year, Japan has either the highest or second highest number of suicides per year.  One thing I learned from when I was in the pharmaceutical industry is that Japan is one of the highest consumers of mental illness related medicines too.

PRAY for those that are depressed!  PRAY for the hundreds who are contemplating suicide today.  PRAY for someone to reach out to them and just listen to what they have to say.  Sometimes, that's all it takes.  PRAY that their families and friends will have renewed energy, patience, and love for them.  PRAY that they will one day soon come to know the love and hope that we have in Jesus Christ.  That we have eternal life in Heaven to look forward to...

I mentioned a Christian group called enochinodenwa ("phone call of life") to my friend once and suggested that she tried calling them.  She said she tried calling them several times and most of the time their line was busy.  She did get through to them and talked with them but she said it didn't help. Suicide helplines in Japan always receive more phone calls than they can handle...

Pray for the depressed...  Pray for those helping, living with, or related to those with depression too.

Pray that the sufferers will soon one day becomes survivors.