I lost my brother in law to suicide. He left behind three young children and the harm he caused to his family is immense. He was also one of the more motivated men I have met and a devoted father. For this to make any sense I either have to conceive of a completely altered state of mind, or a pain and struggle that I can't imagine.

For most of my life I've prided myself on my psychological resilience. But a while back I experienced a brief period where all the mindfulness, CBT, journaling, exercise, therapy, what-have-you were powerless to combat what was going on in my head. I got lucky and eventually it seemed to just pass. Who knows if it will rear its head again.

The whole episode increased my empathy for people like Heather.

Nobody disputes that they have a troubled mind and are feeling various forms of depression or pain, but that doesn’t necessitate ending their life.

Just more broadly speaking, any animal that opts to kill itself has a severe mental issue. It just doesn’t make sense from an evolutionary psychology point of view. The priority should be in seeking treatment. But I don’t expect irrational/self-centered/depressed people to all reach this conclusion.

Edit: I also personally have had a very troubled mind from time to time. I was diagnosed with bipolar in 2009, but went off meds on my own will a couple years after (not sure whether it was an accurate diagnosis). I now am happily married and expecting our first child. But I can relate a bit to these sorts of feelings.

In the end your mind is just your mind, thoughts are just in your head, and you can have a happier life once you realize this. You don’t have to identify with what goes on in your head. It’s like a radio channel that won’t turn off but you don’t have to give too much importance to negativity.