A young man difficult child graduated from high school with took his life yesterday. He posted the suicide not on fb where it still remains (I wish they would take it down). This young man was an athlete, a self taught accomplished pianist, an author, a marine, a son, a friend, an extraordinary person....and he had bi-polar and lived in a manic state just about every day of his life. He was adopted at the age of five after being taken from his drug addict/alcoholic parents along with his three siblings. He was bounced from foster home to foster home until finally adopted. While he never did drugs himself he obviosuly suffered from the effects.
During high school many of his classmates thought he was strange, they didn't have the maturity or understanding to deal with his manic stages, yet he never hurt a fly and was a friend to everyone. He could no longer quiet the storm in his brain and decided by taking his life he may bring an understanding of bi-polar to more people.
We knew something happened last night as the first news reports started coming in but didn't know who it was. I live in a fairly small community and most people know of each other and certainly everyone in her graduating class knew each other. I didn't want to say anything to difficult child until we found out who it was and when I did I was just trying to figure out what to say when difficult child called me to ask if it was true.
This makes about eight people that difficult child has known very well that have died in the past year. Substance abuse and mental illness takes our young people way too early.
My concern is that this terrible tragedy will but her back in touch with many many people from our community that I would rather not see her be in contact with. They are planning community memorial services and of course the funeral and her graduating class has started a fb page for everyone to reconnect. That scares the begeebers out of me. While this young man was never involved in drugs, so many others in her class were and surely they will all be at the services.
I'm holding my breath that difficult child is able to handle this in a sober and healthy way and that is does not lead to a relapse or reconnection with people she has left behind. I have to tell you I am holding my breath here.
Nancy
During high school many of his classmates thought he was strange, they didn't have the maturity or understanding to deal with his manic stages, yet he never hurt a fly and was a friend to everyone. He could no longer quiet the storm in his brain and decided by taking his life he may bring an understanding of bi-polar to more people.
We knew something happened last night as the first news reports started coming in but didn't know who it was. I live in a fairly small community and most people know of each other and certainly everyone in her graduating class knew each other. I didn't want to say anything to difficult child until we found out who it was and when I did I was just trying to figure out what to say when difficult child called me to ask if it was true.
This makes about eight people that difficult child has known very well that have died in the past year. Substance abuse and mental illness takes our young people way too early.
My concern is that this terrible tragedy will but her back in touch with many many people from our community that I would rather not see her be in contact with. They are planning community memorial services and of course the funeral and her graduating class has started a fb page for everyone to reconnect. That scares the begeebers out of me. While this young man was never involved in drugs, so many others in her class were and surely they will all be at the services.
I'm holding my breath that difficult child is able to handle this in a sober and healthy way and that is does not lead to a relapse or reconnection with people she has left behind. I have to tell you I am holding my breath here.
Nancy
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