Ending Despair

When life becomes intolerable with health issues and there doesn't appear to anything to live for what are the alternatives left for a person?

Recently I have been involved with a person who is seriously considering killing himself. The person has multiple health conditions including Pancreatic cancer, Hepatitis C and heart problems. The outlook for this person is very bleak indeed. His current dilemma involving doctors who decline giving pain medications or admitting the person to hospital are adding to the despair of ending his life. He wants some pain medication however all that can be done apparently is refer him to the pain management clinic. The pain management clinic can only make an appointment for eight weeks time.

Apparently he is known by medico's as an antagonistic patient and previously addicted to drugs.

When the person tries to access medical help he seems to get kicked out of hospitals and surgeries which only serves to reinforce his despair that no one can help. All that is left for him is to take large numbers of panadol which destroys what is left of his liver.

I am in contact with the person by phone as he is several thousand miles away from my location. He has told me that he will kill himself before the 17th January which is his 37th birthday. He tells me how he will drive up into the bush and end it all.

The End of The Road

He is a compassionate hard working man who has sadly had a difficult life. He tells me that he is not copping out on life or is he weak in trying to deal with his health conditions. He just wants out! The pain is unbearable for him however I do not think that is his main concern.

He has tried to call his estranged father however he is told to never call him again. All the person wants is a hug from someone who understands. Thats not too much to ask for in my view. The person just wants to be hugged and appreciated before he goes.

A Man With Means

So I can understand that he wishes to end his life and that he has the means to do that. All I can do is talk with him and be there for him during the last days of his life. He has agreed to call me ten minutes before killing himself. He will drive into the bush away from the society that he percieves as rejecting him. He will pull the trigger, gas himself or most likely inject himself with too much heroin. Most likely in his case he will do all of the above to make sure the job is successful.

He will leave this earth knowing that at least someone has listenned and to a certain extent understood his concerns. Until then I will hear his tears and give him hugs over the telephone. There is nothing else I can do.

Suicide in most cases is about ending the despair.

Kenoath