That's the case for about 10% of people who suffer from mental illness last I heard. Many others who suffer from mental illness take a slower route to suicide by engaging in self-destructive behavior. It may not be as quick as the gun, but the end result is that it takes decades off of their lives.
That 10%? From what I gather, there is nothing that can be done for them that will keep them from taking their own lives.
It's a strange, strange thing. I live in a small town. Last weekend a cop took his own life with his service weapon in his assigned cop car. No one knows why. He didn't leave a note. He was in his mid 50s and 3 months away from retirement with a full pension after 28 years on the force. With possibly four decades of life ahead of him he was all set to enjoy life and still relatively young. We just don't know what was happening in his head. Clearly, it was a lot worse on the inside than outward appearances.
I've been close to suicide in my life, but I have a very strong will to survive. I really didn't want to die, I was just in agony. I wanted my life to get better and was able to take the necessary steps to make it that way. Maybe for some people living with a diagnosis is the end of the world for them.
The only way to get better is to reach out for help. It is very hard for people who have always been highly self-reliant to do that. I fall into that camp. Maybe that cop was there as well. Maybe in his mind if he couldn't make himself better then nobody could.
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