As there are no actual statistics proving that the leading killer of RSD patients is suicide, we are such a tight knit community that when one of us does take our own life, we are all rocked by the fallout. That being said, another RSDer has taken her own life. This makes 2 in as many weeks. To my knowledge, RSD itself does not kill us, the pain just makes us wish we were dead (sometimes). The other known disruptor of life is 'overdose.' An RSDer just wants the pain to go away and if 1 pill works a little bit, 2 will work a little better, and 3 or more might make everything "ok." ... NOT!!
I, for one, do not believe that suicide is an answer. Even though we still have no cure, suicide, in my mind, is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. My pain is not always a 10, which makes me grateful for a 9 and uber-appreciative of this 2 that I've still got going!! My 1st memory of dealing with a suicide that directly affected my own life came in 2000 when one of Houdini's best friends lost all hope mere weeks before their senior year in high school. His pain was mental and emotional. My 2nd experience was my own cousin in the wee hours of the morning on Christmas Eve 2009. She had Fibro, potassium deficiency, blood clots, and a few other health issues. I cannot begin to tell you how pissed I am that she gave up and took the chickenshit way out. (sorry Mom, but we've been over this) There are people who have experienced similar pain issues, and they are still boot-scootin to the best of their ability. It's not that we are stronger or our pain isn't as bad as those who give up, we just choose to keep fighting because to us, suicide is absolutely, positively not an option. It is selfish ... period. The true victims are those left behind with broken hearts and unanswered questions. It is up to the RSDer to communicate and maturely articulate what they are feeling. Normies won't listen to or hear us if we're hysterical. It is up to the Normies to pay attention to what we are saying without judgement and condescending tones.
Unfortunaely, RSD is a family disease. It directly affect parents, siblings, spouses/significant others, children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles, grandparents, and in-laws. If an RSDer looses hope, it is usually because they do not have the support that they need from their Normies. These same family members accuse us of lying about and/or exaggerating our pain levels. They accuse us of being hypochondriacs. Their normal bodies and brains see our need for pain meds as "addiction." They view us as rude and anti-social when we are physically unable to attend family functions ... or when we do attend, we are standoffish and overly emotional because, sometimes ... most times, hugs and handshakes hurt like a sumbitch and make us want to cower in a corner. The more awareness that can be shared within the family unit, the better our chances of surviving this beast!!
A couple of women have started an RSD suicide outreach program through Facebook. I think this is a genius idea!! Regular suicide hotlines might not be in tune with the dynamic emphasis of a pain riddled existence like RSD. So having RSDers who have been there/done that/got the t-shirt can counsel those who are struggling with fighting through the pain. I have asked for permission to include the RSD suicide link here but have not heard back from the administrators yet.
I have faith that I will not succumb to suicide!! (honestly, I'm too afraid of missing out on something really really cool!!) I have faith that I will volunteer my time to this newly formed suicide hotline. I have faith that I will never be ok with someone killing themselves and I will continue to cuss repeatedly when I hear of it happening. Faith, Hope and Love are monetarily "free" ... it's the mental and emotional cost that could use a good Section 8 effect!!
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