----------------------------------------------------------- New Message on Pituitary Chat
----------------------------------------------------------- From: Willard1H Message 1 in Discussion If you've ever think of the possibility of SUICIDE, I want you to immediately go to the site Metanoia.org, and bookmark it. You don't have to read "If you're thinking about Suicide,... Read This First" now, if that gloomy thought is not in your mind. My suspicion is that you'e like me, and the option of suicide is on your mind every month, or every week, or possibly in the back of your mind every day. "Suicide" is that dirty little word we dislike even more than "tumor" or "cancer." I think the topic should have its own discussion board on Pit Chat. It doesn't always fit into the area of "Emotional Issues" (sometimes it's the lack of emotion). If you look closely, suicide is often an unmentioned subtext on many threads of posting on these Message Boards. Supposedly we have over 1,300 members, but I believe more than a handful have chosen to absent themselves from the boards -- and LIFE -- by their own hands. Face it: Pit Tumors are the pits. 1) Maybe I exaggerate, but I see suicidal urges as a symptom of all varieties of Brain Tumors. 2) Our medications (Bromo, cabergoline, etc.) often list suicidal thoughts as a side effect. We constantly bemoan what they do to us. 3) Some of us undergo hormone replacement therapy, which can bring on its own emotional meltdowns. 4) Our families and friends have a tough time dealing with our illness. As much as they'd want to, they cannot always relate. 5) Insurance affects how our Pit Tumor is treated. 6) It's expensive. Many cannot afford the medication, the co-pays, the time spent away from work, or even the cost of transportation to seek medical help.7) Religious issues affect many of us: is suicide the unforgiveable sin that sends us to hell? Do our pastors, rabbis and spiritual advisors really offer us useful advice, or are just being judgmental? The list goes on and on.... In reply to a recent post, I sent a screaming HEADS UP to a fellow member who said he needed to vent. Besides may of the issues I listed in the last paragraph, this young man's wife had left him, taking their preschool children. On top of that, he's a police officer, the occupation with the highest incidence of suicide (almost double that of the general population!!). I almost feel like I'm violating a confidence, though we talked on this public message board in view of everyone. After reading of his difficulties, I replied, You didn't mention the word SUICIDE, but I want you to immediately prepare to fight that urge. He admitted, "(the) fact is that I have thought about that a lot." I think most of us think about suicide more than we're willing to let on. Tell us: do you ever think about "THAT"? Or is suicide such a dirty word that you want it dismissed from our board and relegated to 1-800-SUICIDE's hotline? Is the subject of suicide so alien to you, that you'd never even think of that option? Or is it that lurking presence that hovers around you, just out of view? Be brutal, be honest: tell us how you feel. Willard ----------------------------------------------------------- To stop getting this e-mail, or change how often it arrives, go to your E-mail Settings. http://groups.msn.com/PituitaryChat/_emailsettings.msnw Need help? If you've forgotten your password, please go to Passport Member Services. http://groups.msn.com/_passportredir.msnw?ppmprop=help For other questions or feedback, go to our Contact Us page. http://groups.msn.com/contact If you do not want to receive future e-mail from this MSN group, or if you received this message by mistake, please click the "Remove" link below. On the pre-addressed e-mail message that opens, simply click "Send". Your e-mail address will be deleted from this group's mailing list. mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
