Suicide

DISCLAIMER: Dawson McAllister Live does not engage in professional counseling of any sort. The resources that you are about to view are for support and guidance only. They are not intended to give authoritative advice, nor should they be seen as a replacement for professional counseling. These resources are best seen as a beginning point for those who are interested in getting help.

WARNING: The audio clips and stories contained in these resources may cause emotional pain to those who are struggling with the issues discussed.

Welcome to The HopeLine Virtual Coach for the issue of Suicide. Below you will find stories, information, and resources dealing with the issue. Before you get started with the Virtual Coach, please listen to a DMLive caller talk to Dawson about his struggle with Suicide. To hear the call, please click here.


Joanie's Story

Joanie felt like her world was collapsing around her. She turned 18 last week and has no idea what she wants to do with the rest of her life. High school graduation is only a few months away. Most of her friends are excited and are ready to move on with life. Some have lined up jobs, others are making preparations for college, and still others have already signed up for military service. But not Joanie. She has been feeling very uneasy around her friends lately and almost feels like she no longer belongs with them, even though she has known some of them since kindergarten. At home, Joanie feels like her parents are pressuring her to do and to be what they want her to be but Joanie does not want that life for herself. Secretly, Joanie is not sure that she wants any life. The uncertainty about her future is bearing down on her and Joanie is not sure how much she can take. She spends a lot of time just thinking, trying to figure things out, but never seems to see any answers. “What is my life about, anyway?” she asks. “Who am I?” What Joanie does know is that more days than not she would be very content to just go to sleep and never wake up. “In fact”, she says under her breath, “I know just the thing that can make that happen”.

Your Story

You have heard a DM Live caller talk to Dawson about suicide and you have read about Joanie and her thoughts of ending her own life. What about you? Are you considering suicide? Do you wonder how or why you should go on? If so, you are not alone. Every year untold numbers consider ending their own life. In the United States alone, 425,000 people per year present to emergency rooms with self-inflicted injuries. 31,000 people kill themselves every year. Your story does not have to end like theirs.

If your story is similar to that of the DM Live caller and Joanie, then you are probably facing a crisis in your life that seems too big to handle. For the DM Live caller, the problem was pornography that lead him to steal from his dad. For Joanie, the problem was the feeling she didn’t fit in or belong and lack of purpose for her life. Both of these are real and valid problems that will require serious effort to overcome. Dealing with pornography and sexual addiction is very difficult, but men and women conquer their addictions all the time. Joanie feels lost and depressed right now, but with a little help from someone who cares enough to talk to her and listen to her struggles she is likely to discover that she is not alone and others have felt the same way and have found direction and meaning to their life. The point is that taking your own life is not the best way to solve your problems: hope exists and help is available.

If you’re thinking about suicide or know someone who is, please read the options below and click any as they relate to you: Return to the Virtual Coach Menu.