A Cry for
HELP

GOD has forgotten me!" a Brazilian woman cried out. After the sudden death of her husband, she felt that her life no longer had any meaning. Have you ever tried to comfort someone who is that distressed or who is perhaps crying for help?

Some become so despondent that they end their life—and a number of them are youths. According to the newspaper Folha de S. Paulo, a study in Brazil shows that "suicide among youths has increased by 26 percent." For instance, consider the case of Walter,* a young man in São Paulo. He had no parents, no home, no privacy, no friends he could count on. To end his misery, Walter decided to jump off a bridge.

A single mother, Edna already had two children when she met another man. After only a month, they began living together in the home of his mother, who dabbled in spiritism and was an alcoholic. Edna had another child, began drinking excessively, and became so depressed that she tried to commit suicide. Finally, she lost custody of her children.

An increasing number
of youths and adults
commit suicide

What about elderly people? Maria used to be fun-loving and talkative. As she grew older, however, she began to worry about her job as a nurse because she feared that she would make mistakes. This made her feel depressed. After trying self-medication, she sought medical attention, and the treatment she received seemed helpful. But when she lost her job at the age of 57, depression returned with such intensity that she could see no way out. Maria began thinking about committing suicide.

How can you help one who has lost hope?

"About 10 percent of people who are depressed attempt suicide," says Professor José Alberto Del Porto of São Paulo University. "It's hard to believe that more people have died from suicide than homicide, but it's a sad fact," reports U. S. surgeon general, Dr. David Satcher.

Sometimes an attempted suicide is, in effect, a cry for help. And surely family members and friends want to do the right thing for the one who has lost hope. Of course, it will not help to use expressions such as: "Stop feeling sorry for yourself," "A lot of people are worse off than you are" or, "All of us have a bad day now and then." Instead, why not be a real friend and a good listener? Yes, try to help the despondent one to see that life is worth living.

French author Voltaire wrote: "The man who, in a fit of melancholy, kills himself today, would have wished to live had he waited a week." Well, then, how can people in despair discover that life is worthwhile?

*  Some names have been changed.