Imagine 9/11.
The planes have crashed into the twin towers. It's chaos.
On a single storey high up, a lone person is stuck there. Fire is creeping in. The walls are totally demolished. He is stuck. The fire prevents him from escaping.
He is scared for his life, of course.
He does not know what to do.
He does see any firemen or helicopters that can rescue him.
He is alone.
He knows that there is no hope.
The fire is getting bigger and coming closer, and closer to him.
That's all he sees, the fire.
And that is why he jumped.
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This was an analogy I read on Reddit about how suicidal people feel and think. I thought it is brilliant in attempting to allow the layperson to empathize with a suicidal person.
Many have been the times I hear people say things like, "Why can't they just reach out for help?"
"Help is everywhere!"
"There're so many channels today that are offering help!"
"They are not alone! Why don't they see that?"
"Why couldn't they just wait for things to be better?"
It's because they can only see the fire.
The fire that is creeping in and slowly destroying their lives. They believe that the fire will burn them alive soon enough.
They cannot see anything or anyone else, not even the rapid flow of information and opportunities on social media.
They can only see the fire.
They see no hope and would rather not wait for that.
And so, they jump. They take their own lives.
One can only imagine the immense amount of fear a person would feel being stuck in that burning tower alone.
I have no real solution here today. I just thought I'd share this.
If you're around a loved one who you think is only seeing the fire, don't give up on them even though they have given up on themselves.