[catch23]

did he have a history of depression? perhaps it was simply due to stress or pressure? The thought of spending the next 35 years in prison for downloading documents can be pretty painful... probably as bad as someone who was wrongfully tried for murder.

[jacques_chester]

Depression is the leading cause of suicide. Almost all suicides are somehow connected to it.

It can have many causes. Sometimes it's innate to the person, sometimes it's brought on by circumstances; oftentimes multiple factors are involved.

But the bottom line is:

If you are thinking about suicide, get help. Right now.

[lhnz]

Do you have experience recovering from depression?

[jacques_chester]

Yes. I've been suicidally depressed.

I'm one of the fortunate people for whom first-line SSRIs (in my case, sertraline) are very effective. I no longer rely on the meds, but I have additional comfort knowing that they're there if I need them.

I still have bad patches. And it's weird, being inside yourself, intellectually cognisant that this emotion of pointlessness and worthlessness is an illusion, that it doesn't exist -- yet being, sometimes, unable to beat it.

I know that, left to build gravity, the black spiral is stronger than me because it is me.

But I also know that the treatment is stronger. And that is there, if I ever need it again. If I ever get too many of those days in a row, I won't hesitate to seek help.

And neither should anybody else. The suffering is entirely unnecessary.

Get help. You are not alone. It gets better.