I found out on recently that a person from the ME Group that I used to belong to committed suicide. She was the third person from the group to have done so in the last few years.
I also had a friend who had ME/CFS during the period I was ill, who ended up committing suicide. He spent 2 years in and out of hospital. He feared relapsing, because it meant the prospect of being in hospital. He feared being in hospital, as he had very real concerns, based on his experience that his illness would not be understood, that Doctors would think that it was all in his head. He called me on a number of occasions, asking what can I do to help myself feel better? I didn’t have any answers, I just didn’t know how to respond. He was actually Buddhist, he knew all about the power of meditation, but wasn’t able to stop feeling so fearful.
I read somewhere, maybe in one of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books about this scheme where people gave someone they cared about a piece of yellow ribbon. They would tell this person that they were giving them this as a reminder that they wanted this person to know that if they ever really needed some support, they could call and ask for it. It was a way of saying “Yes I know that sometimes I’m a bit preoccupied, don’t return your call quickly enough, but if you ever really, really need me, you have to let me know, and I will come and support you”. It’s tragic that these people got to this place that they decided to end their life, and didn’t feel able to turn for help, or didn’t think that would make any difference.
At the same time, I feel that it is sad that this happens, as I do believe there is a way out of the ME/CFS maze, as I did get well, and know other who also recovered their health. I know me/cfs is a very real physical condition: I had it for 8 years.
I believe there is cause for hope. I know its hard when you are exhausted, but I encourage people to keep an open mind, be curious, look into these different approaches, and if one of these approaches makes sense to you, then great. I think it’s a shame that ANY potentially useful approaches get dismissed without any rigorous examination or understanding of their relevance. I don’t care what method helps people get well, as long as it is safe. I just want people to beat this condition and believe it is possible.
I wish you great health!
Simon