01/09/2025
Unfortunately, last month I experienced a great loss and tragedy in my family when we suddenly & unexpectedly lost my brother to su***de.
Itâs been a devastating experience and I in a matter of 72 hours had to pack up my life on the other side of the world and navigate a 24 hour journey home while being in a complete & utter state of shock and despair as I returned to Australia to be with my loved ones and the people who know my brother most during this time.
My brother - like many of the statistics on su***de show - was one of those beautiful, big spirited people who always come with a smile & a laugh who we least expect to lose to su***de.
Growing up I always relied on my brother for consistency and stability in my life. He showed me what it meant to be a solid, stable man that I could always rely upon. I lived with him twice as an adult - he took me in providing me with whatever I needed and he taught me so much about it what it meant to be a good person in this world.
I have lived my entire adult life being afraid of someone committing su***de and doing everything in my power to avoid that (as your risk factors for su***de increase significantly when you have a family history of su***de or attempted su***de, which my family do). This is a big part of the reason I do what I do as a life coach - I see all of my work in support of good mental health.
But EVEN then: I didnât know my brother was suffering. Out of all the people in my family I never worried about this for him. Though now that Iâve learned a lot more about su***de I know his story is a very common example and story arc for the kind of man we lose to su***de and in fact many of the great things about him & his personality are actually what made him a prime candidate for this end.
I know usually when there is a su***de it is something we donât talk about - whether itâs because itâs too hard, too triggering or the stigma associated with it. However, this is what breeds and feeds the problem. Su***de is born from shame. It is one of the leading causes of death across our globe. Contâd in the comments.