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Bereavement

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DS24 has taken his own life - please help me get through this!

305 replies

Crazyladee · 07/12/2019 21:55

Can't believe I have typed those words.

I'm broken.

He was suicidal for weeks and we had a battle but we managed to get him on a mental health ward.

A very long winded story but he kept saying there were voices in his head pushing him to end it. We, and him begged for him to be sectioned to keep him safe (they allow voluntary patients to come and go off the ward) as numerous warning signs were there but they refused because he was volunteering treatment.

On Thursday, he rang me described the voices becoming demonic. This was explained to his psychologist.
A long horrific story short again but that day, his girlfriend decided to end the relationship with him (she was getting pressure off her family) which tipped him over the edge. He was allowed to leave the hospital "to get some fresh air" at 9pm. At 5am yesterday morning they found his body. I can't bring myself to explain how he did it but it was the most horrific thing possible. 😢

How on earth can we even begin to think about recovering from this?

I'm utterly broken. I literally can't stop crying.

OP posts:
ReadyPayerTwo · 07/12/2019 23:37

I should mention that my sister's ex-MIL lost her first DS at age 20 to an LSD related death from a bridge onto a railway in the late 80s. Then a decade ago she lost her remaining son at age 35 to cancer.

You wouldn't think a person would be able to come back from that but she did. She just kept going, kept working, surrounding herself with people and activities. She has kept a close relationship with my sister and I and two years ago fell in love with a successful artist from the US. I saw them in the summer and it's hard to think she has suffered these terrible losses - she is the most vibrant, sunny person and an absolute inspiration.

All I can say is that her experience showed me that people can cope in their own ways, thank goodness.

looondonn · 07/12/2019 23:47

Thinking of you and your family
I lost a DB tragically
I know what the shock can do to a family
You are in my prayers xx

MollyHuaCha · 07/12/2019 23:49

I've nothing useful to add, but I wanted to say how sad I feel for you at this horrible time.

You are not alone. There are many people here who care.

Take care of yourself, OP. Thanks

MrsPworkingmummy · 07/12/2019 23:54

OP, I am so, so sorry that you're going through this. It is going to be incredibly difficult to cope, but with a strong family around you, you WILL get through it. In 2013, my FIL jumped in front of a train. It DESTROYED us initially. I drove myself crazy at the start, researching suicide via a train and in the end, I resigned from my job and had intense counselling as I was traumatised and couldn't stop thinking of his last moments. I was the only one in the family who had counselling. It's been 5 years since then, and we are happy. The shock and rawness has gone, and we've accepted what happened. My husband has never been the same since, but he has adjusted to life without his dad. He aged 10 years overnight and misses him terribly.... But he laughs, is generally happy and he has a good life. What we found difficult was how long everything took, with the inquest etc. We couldn't grieve properly as were in a blur of visits from the transport police etc afterwards, and the inquest was over a year later. It took ages for the death certificate to come through. Please don't give up OP. Seek support and keep the memory of your son alive. You will find peace eventually.

BodenGate · 08/12/2019 00:03

I am so very sorry for your loss.

HoppingPavlova · 08/12/2019 00:04

I’m so sorry. I have one the same age with mental health issues and this would be my worst nightmare and you are currently living it. I’m so very very sorry.

Please make sure you receive the counselling you will need.

The system for mental health is completely fucked. Under resourced in every possible way. Like trying to plug a broken dam with one piece of toilet paper Angry,

2018SoFarSoGreat · 08/12/2019 00:04

Dear god, how awful for you all. The pain he was in just must have been unbearable. So, so sorry for you and your family.

Mummies Boy. He knew how loved he was ❤️

HandsOffMyRights · 08/12/2019 00:12

I'm so sorry OP Flowers I cannot begin to imagine how you must be feeling. I hope you have friends and loved ones with you.

Louise91417 · 08/12/2019 00:13

Heartbreaking. So sorry.Flowers

SinglePringle · 08/12/2019 00:15

I am so very sorry for you and your loss. I can’t even begin to know how it feels.

Your son knew he was loved. It’s palpable from your post.

Sending you love and light.

Abouttoblow · 08/12/2019 00:25

I'm so very sorry for your loss.

Powerplant · 08/12/2019 00:34

I’m so very very sorry for your loss and can’t even imagine what you are going through. I really hope you get your sign 💐💐💐

colouringinpro · 08/12/2019 01:02

OP I'm so, so sorry to hear about your son. My heart goes out to you. Sadly we lost a family member by suicide a year ago and my OH almost succeeded in an attempt a few years ago.

Grieving someone who died by suicide is heartbreaking. It's totally typical although without cause, to feel guilty, that we didn't do enough to help. Grieving a death by suicide is harder and longer than many other bereavements.

From my experience with my OH I think that if someone is determined to end their life, they will find a way. And their pain and anguish is over.

Hold close to friends and family. Cry more. Be very kind to yourself. My sister in law who lost her husband last year has found SOBS and Cruse helpful. Say yes to offers of help.

Sending much love to you and all your family. FlowersFlowersFlowers

MissPepper8 · 08/12/2019 01:10

I'm so sorry op, I wish I could say or do mroe but there's some wonderful advise on here. Be kind to yourself Flowers

BestOption · 08/12/2019 01:26

((((Hug)))))

Your son felt loved & he loved you. You did your best to get him help.

I’m sorry you feel awful about your last conversation with him, but as others have said, you were woken up and were recovering and ‘last conversations’ are rarely the way they show them in movies. They’re real, every day, ordinary conversations.

He obviously wasn’t angry with you -hus nite shows that. He loved you and felt loved by you. You couldn’t have changed what he did.

QueenOfOversharing · 08/12/2019 01:54

I'm so, so sorry. I don't have words of wisdom, just some to convey my heartfelt condolences. As so many other ppl have said, your son clearly knew how loved he was, and I hope that one day that will bring you comfort.

I was diagnosed with BPD a few years ago and I can share that the intense emotional pain can feel unbearable. My heart breaks for the serious shortfall in mental health care, esp for young people, and I'm afraid that from experience I know that a BPD diagnosis doesn't always engender sympathy from professionals.

I hope when you come back to this thread that you have had some sleep & get some comfort from the support you have here. Thanks

TracyBeakerSoYeah · 08/12/2019 02:13

@Crazyladee I'm so sorry for your loss. I lost my Auntie several years ago to suicide She had bipolar disorder & just couldn't carry on anymore with the illness.
It was at Christmas time too. We were devasted but losing your child is another level. It's not right or ok.
Parents are supposed to go before children not the other way round.
It makes you feel guilty, wrong, stupid, useless, angry, powerless as my Grandparents told me.
A wise older family friend said don't think of it them killing themself, any mental illness is a physiological brain disorder that makes you act & think abnormally, it's like a cancer of the soul/being. You understand that cancer can unfortunately kill so mental illness can unfortunately kill you. People in such much mental pain start to feel it physically & just want relief. They don't think about the future & that the pain with the right medication & treatment wil pass (but mental health is the Cinderella service of the NHS & woefully underfunded & understaffed)
You just want some relief, they forget that heaven/the afterlife (if you believe in it) isn't a holiday camp that you can spend a few weeks in recovering, once you've left this mortal coil...,,,,well you don't get a visitors pass to come back.
But you're in so much pain that you don't think straight, severe depression is worse than toothache/migraine/broken bones times 100. You just want some peace.
Now you wouldn't expect yourself to cure your son's toothache/migraine or broken bones, so don't blame yourself for not curing your son's mental anguish, but then I know as any parent even if your child was run over & killed by a random bus, then you still blame yourself as that is what is parents do, we feel our children's pain, we live their pain & get angry & frustrated with it too.
Don't blame yourselves or your son as you wouldn't do if was cancer/cardiac arrest/random accident etc.
But as parents we do & always will, even though we shouldn't as we do the best we can, but unfortunately mental health services are lacking.

If you feel up to it, tell us about your son, what he was like, all the things that made you smile & your heart sing.
Finally I'd like to say it shines out how much you loved your boy & don't forget as a Mother we are special, as we carried our children inside of us & its been scientifically proven that some of our child's DNA gets left behind & is still floating around in our body. So your son might not be here physically but some of him is still in you & no one can take that away.
Sending unMNetty love & hugs Flowers

Crazyladee · 08/12/2019 07:13

@tracybeakersoyeah

Thank you. I really needed to hear those words.

I'm so grateful for all your replies.

The nytol kicked in a bit but I've just woken up to one of my dogs on the bed licking my face.
The rules of no dogs in the bedroom have gone out of the window right now as they are providing us with some comfort.

At the moment, the tears and sobbing is coming in waves. The rest of the time I feel nothing but numbness. I've no appetite and barely eaten in the last couple of days. I've also got an upset stomach.
Trying to keep strong for DS17. He has been so brave and it's unbelievable how strong he is being right now. Of course we will be keeping a very close eye on him and getting the counselling sorted is number one priority.

I'm finding one part of my brain is trying to hurt me and it's thinking of the horrific things you think about when you hear about his type of death. It's also trying to blame me and tell me why didn't I comfort him more when he rang me distraught about his girlfriend. The night before his death, he rang me to tell me about the demonic voices and I was right in the middle of giving my patient a bath so, again I told him I can't talk right now. I never called him back as I promised because when I was free to talk to him, I heard him on the phone to DH.

But there's another part of my brain that's trying to counter the other side and it's thinking of comforting things. I had my operation a few weeks ago so the whole process is very fresh in my head. When they injected the anaesthetic, just at that moment, a nurse said "is it okay if I put a mask over your face"

And then I woke up in the recovery room.

I'm imagining that at that very moment when he stepped off the platform it was the same as that nurse saying about the mask. After that, when the train hit him, it was lights out and he felt nothing.

I'm also imagining this. We are all going to die one day. What has happened to him, and where he is now.. We are all going to be there one day. Nothing has happened to him that isn't going to happen to me. But he has ended his life early but will not have to experience years of struggles and feeling so worthless and a failure, as he describes in his notes.

We as a family have had an awful couple of years in terms of deaths. Two years ago, my niece lost a stillborn boy at 41 weeks pregnant. It hit us like a tonne of bricks. The awful thing is the anniversary of the babies birthday and the day he died is the same as my DS. We also lost our beloved grandma who he was close to. In his notes, he says he is going to be up above with those members of the family watching over us. He genuinely believed in life after death. I wish I could have told him the words I have just read.. There's no coming back.

He was honestly so lovely. DH and I were very young when we had him. We had only known each other a few months before I fell pregnant but we got through it and provided him with a happy childhood. He is..was..? The spitting image of his father. In fact I used to look at his features and try and find anything resembling me but there wasn't. He was his father through and through. So handsome.

OP posts:
TurnipToffee · 08/12/2019 07:26

I'm so, so sorry OP Flowers. He sounds very loved. x

Savingforarainyday · 08/12/2019 07:37
Flowers
TheFairyCaravan · 08/12/2019 07:40

@Crazyladee I'm so very, very sorry for your loss. He knew he was loved Flowers

Cantchooseaname · 08/12/2019 07:46

You have had good advice- you wouldn’t blame yourself for not curing cancer, this is no different.
Living with mental health difficulties in the family is hard on everyone.
You are in the darkest part of the day.

You will find a new normal, not one you would choose, not one you have done anything to cause or deserve. Your love for your family is apparent in all you write. Hang in there, be kind to yourself.

saraclara · 08/12/2019 07:53

My friend once called me while standing on his tenth floor balcony intending to jump (his reasons did not involve me). I was helpless and I got the conversation wrong and he got more upset and angry. In the end he did go back inside though.

I immediately called a helpline when the situation was over, and the lovely person reassured me that such a decision is pretty much already made, and that had he jumped, it would not have been that last conversation with me that affected anything.

I can't begin to imagine what you're going through, but I have empathy for some of it.
My sympathy to you, your family, and his girlfriend.

catnidge · 08/12/2019 08:04

@Crazyladee. I'm so sorry to hear this news about your son.
We've spoken a few times on health related threads.

Your love for your son is so clear.
Mental health is so complex and the NHS is so woefully underfunded in this area. I

Much love to you for the ongoing future. This is only a suggestion but maybe as a family think of three great memories of your son daily and write them in a book.

danni0509 · 08/12/2019 18:34

How are you doing Op? (silly question I know)

Been thinking of you today Thanks