My 1st co-worker committed suicide in October of 2010. None of us saw it coming. This was a guy who was good at his job, but unbearable to work with. He would put down other officers who he felt they weren’t up to standard. Of course, the others would make fun of him for it when he wasn’t around. Nobody wins in these situations.
But then, just weeks before he passed, he started an odd conversation with me. He asked “I’m I doing something wrong?” I replied “What do you mean?” He said “I feel like I’m doing my job the best I can, but no one seems to appreciate it. I feel like no one is noticing anything.” I wish I could recall the rest of the conversation, but I can’t. I suppose I was just THAT shocked that he cared what others thought. And then, he was gone.
My 2nd co-worker committed suicide in March of 2023. He was in his early 30’s, had a health condition and discovered, one night on shift, that his wife had cheated on him. I was working with him that night. I told him about the company’s Employee Assistance Program and about how a certain number of visits were free. I added that I had used it and that it was a big help. I also said that maybe he needed to take the rest of the night off and that work was probably the last place he needed to be. I regret that one now. Did he hear that or did he hear “Hey, go home. Leave me alone with this.” I’ll never know.
He started missing lots of work, but tried to put on a happy face. He joked around and laughed as he always did. He did his job well. But in the end, I think his problems were too much for him. I’ll never know. I’m no expert on the topic. And then, he was gone. And this one hurt bad. So much so that I’m quick to talk to people about reaching out for help in whatever way they can.
I don’t have the answers, but I know where the help can be found. And I know that Google is a powerful tool in locating that help. On the local or national level.
There IS help out there. Remember to look for it.
