Do Innocent People Commit Suicide?
A recent news story told about Melinda Duckett, a young Florida mother who, after a particularly difficult TV interview, took her father's shotgun and killed herself. A physician colleague of mine clearly felt she must have done it because she was guilty of the abduction of her young son. The woman's son had disappeared from his crib during the night. When the woman went in to check on him, she found the window screen had been slit open and her son was gone.
The prime suspects in crimes against children, according to police experts, are the parents. Remember the JonBenet Ramsey case and then there was the abduction and brutal murder of Danielle van Dam in San Diego?
The van Dams were portrayed as twisted swingers and they were subjected to multiple grillings. It turned out the murderer was the next door neighbor, a software engineer who took her from her bed. What a horrible experience these parents had. First they lose their child and then they are relentlessly questioned as the prime suspects.
Is the woman in Florida guilty or innocent? We won't know that, probably, until the police complete their investigation or the child is found.
Do innocent people kill themselves? Let me put it another way. If you were harassed and questioned for hours on end, kept away from family and friends and all of this was happening while you were grieving for the loss of your child, would you do something impulsive? I think you might and I also think that no one knows the limits to which they can be stretched until they are in that situation.
I equate comments such as, "I'd never do that" in the same category as the small boy who told me he'd never get run over by a car because he'd jump out of the way first. He was killed by a bus.
Stress can distort your world view, increase your inability to make good judgments, push the impulsivity button and result in totally unpredictable behavior. I've seen it happen time and time again, but in those cases, the people were rushed to the protection of a hospital in time.
How would you weigh in on the Florida case?
Related Topics: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Depression: The Mask of Sorrow
Technorati Tags: Melinda Duckett, Nancy Grace, depression, stress, anxiety, suicide
The prime suspects in crimes against children, according to police experts, are the parents. Remember the JonBenet Ramsey case and then there was the abduction and brutal murder of Danielle van Dam in San Diego?
The van Dams were portrayed as twisted swingers and they were subjected to multiple grillings. It turned out the murderer was the next door neighbor, a software engineer who took her from her bed. What a horrible experience these parents had. First they lose their child and then they are relentlessly questioned as the prime suspects.
Is the woman in Florida guilty or innocent? We won't know that, probably, until the police complete their investigation or the child is found.
Do innocent people kill themselves? Let me put it another way. If you were harassed and questioned for hours on end, kept away from family and friends and all of this was happening while you were grieving for the loss of your child, would you do something impulsive? I think you might and I also think that no one knows the limits to which they can be stretched until they are in that situation.
I equate comments such as, "I'd never do that" in the same category as the small boy who told me he'd never get run over by a car because he'd jump out of the way first. He was killed by a bus.
Stress can distort your world view, increase your inability to make good judgments, push the impulsivity button and result in totally unpredictable behavior. I've seen it happen time and time again, but in those cases, the people were rushed to the protection of a hospital in time.
How would you weigh in on the Florida case?
Related Topics: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Depression: The Mask of Sorrow
Technorati Tags: Melinda Duckett, Nancy Grace, depression, stress, anxiety, suicide
4 Comments:
I agree with your comment on what a person would do under devastating circumstances.
I believe you are innocent until proven quilty and just because this young mother took her own life does not mean she is quilty!
If I lost my child who knows what I would do? I have GAD, Panic Attacks and Slight Depression and who knows what I would do under the same situation?
May God have mercy on her soul as she is the only one who knew what was going on in her mind at the moment she decided to kill herself.
I only hope that I am never in that position!
I recently read a story in my local newspaper about a child being taken(an infant a week old) from her mother.The mother had wounds and was never questioned.She also had a year old son in the house with her.The son was not touched.The daughter was taken.She did not try to kill herself but she was panick stricken.
After 1 week the child was returned unharmed.She was taken by another woman who had miscarried.
In the Florida case I believe this mother was very young and had some family issues going on anyway.She sounded depressed and I don't think she killed her baby.We shall not know as the Dr. said until the police finish thier investigation but,will even that be the truth?
DOCTOR, I AM BIPOLAR, BEEN MOST OF MY LIFE.I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU. WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR BODY IF YOU OD ON TEMAZEPAM, DO YOU JUST FALL ALSEEP,OR PAIN INVOLVED?
THANKS
RICK
My fiance commited suicide after being together 3.5 years. I talked to him an hour and a half before he did it and I had no clue what so ever. I also was the unfortunate soul that found the love of my life. I believe that there are things in life that can push someone over the edge and hope no one ever has to go thru what I'm going thru. God bless and help each other.
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