I like to tell myself that I am a good person. I don’t want to create enemies, I have a distaste for hatred, and I think everybody should have a chance to be respected and forgiven. Being there for others who need help is good, and showing care can change someone’s life. Altruism, empathy, and compassion are values to a happy and successful life; this I believe. On April 1, 2024, Annelise, a friend of mine from Michigan, nearly died from an attempted overdose suicide. I was unaware that she was struggling with dark thoughts, but when she messaged me that she had taken fourteen times and three times the recommended doses of two depression drugs, I knew she was in trouble. Annelise stopped replying to my texts, didn’t answer calls, and left me …show more content…
Annelise spent a week in a mental hospital recovering, attempting to grapple with her decisions. When she came back, she felt the deepest kind of guilt. She was ashamed of herself and remorseful for the people in her life. I told her the story of scrolling through her Instagram followers in search of someone who could contact her. I told her about my heart dropping and the panic attack that ensued when I read the recommended amount of the dosage online. But most importantly, I told her everything was going to be okay, and that she shouldn’t feel guilty about her secrecy. I called Annelise and we talked for an hour about how our days went and what our plans were for the next week. I explained to Annelise that I understood what she was going through and how I managed those heavily weighted feelings of contemplation. Around three days after leaving the hospital, she told me that it was a reason she wouldn’t attempt suicide again. After viewing how it affected people around her, she understood she made a mistake. For me, I think the realization that showing compassion and empathy has abundant power was an important lesson I learned from that