Description
Maggie talks about the death of her son Simon, three years ago at the age of 19 years. Simon took is own life by jumping off a bridge. He was the only child and his parents were divorced. About a year previously, he had become very anxious about his work, started to drink heavily, fell out with his friends and was very rude to his mother. It is believed that he made two suicide attempts by overdosing during this time. He asked to be admitted as a voluntary patient, but was discharged after a row with the staff.
This was not what he wanted and he talked a lot about needing help and taking his own life. He was depressed, very restless and possibly schizophrenic. He pleaded to his mother for help and she says that she was told by the GP that she would have to cope with things. He seemed to get a little better, started to apply for jobs and Maggie began to think that he might possibly be on the mend. On the night in question, he went to a pub with his friend and his father. His father left the pub first, then his friend. He tried to ring another friend who was not available; then his mother, who found the voice so quiet that she did not recognise him (she wonders if he just wanted to hear her voice once more and not to engage in conversation). Fifteen minutes later Simon had taken his life.
Maggie’s first reaction on hearing that Simon had died was, “Good for you, you’re out of it now.” She thought that he had been suffering a great deal and could see no way out and that he was heroic to hang on for as long as he had done. She went back to work after three weeks but on a part-time basis, went for healing sessions, and for counselling. Her GP gave her lots of time for a year. She would go to the bridge and to the cemetery on a daily basis for some months. Friends and neighbours are very kind and this helps. Three years on, she still lives very much on a day-by-day basis and does not think about the future.
