American citizen Linda McNall was recently sentenced to 8 months in Alberta, Canada for helping her seriously ill mother commit suicide. The suicide of her mother was a part of a mother/daughter suicide pact gone awry. McNall survived the suicide attempt and was arrested after showing up at a nearby Canadian hospital.
“The story of Ms McNall is distressing on several levels,” stated Ms. Farkas. “At the most basic level it is the story of a person struggling against depression and losing that battle. The decision to commit suicide is a very difficult one. You are so hopeless and despairing, you have a sense that only death can bring you peace and happiness. To survive a suicide attempt is miraculous. But instead of being met with appreciation that she was still alive, Ms McNall was arrested, judged and then dumped back into society without any long term emotional supports or life-line to mental help.”
“If we simply consider the issue as one about suicide, the Alberta law punishes, not deters, suicide. Suicide becomes a moral judgment. This law tells people suicide is wrong. If you survive, you will be prosecuted.”
“Recently the suicide of Christopher Peloso, husband of ex-cabinet minister George Smitherman, brought about a national discussion of suicide and its social stigma. Mr. Smitherman rightly declared that he was not ashamed or afraid to talk about Christopher’s suicide. Bell Canada has its annual Let’s Talk day on January 28 when Canadians are encouraged to talk openly about depression. Yet in the case of Ms. McNall, there was no conversation. Alberta judged her as a criminal and then deported her to the United States knowing there was no mental help waiting for her.”
“McNall is still considered to be a suicide risk. The request for a direct hospital to hospital transfer was not accepted. McNall only has a few weeks supply of anti-depressants. With no real family connections and no money, McNall may end up in a woman’s shelter if she’s lucky. More likely McNall will be on the street. Currently 60%, or 6 out of 10, Americans with mental illness do not receive treatment for their condition because they are uninsured, leaving no option for mental health care except in emergency departments. In November 2013 the Affordable Care Act’s Parity rules were finally enacted years after being signed into law by President George W. Bush. For McNall those rules still have not given her the mental health care she desperately needs or deserves. “
“There is an instinct, a need to hide depression. But when you are depressed you need to talk about it. When you get quiet, that’s the time you want to die. You have a quiet thought out plan that makes complete sense to you. That’s when you walk out the door one night and go missing, or try to poison yourself with propane gas. In McNall’s case, two people decided that their pain was unbearable. The mental anguish it took to agree to suicide, to make the trip, breathe in that one last good moment, and then say goodbye forever to this world is something most people cannot comprehend. It is the darkness, the inescapable despair and torment that depression brings to a person.”
Terezia Farkas, author of the best-selling depression memoir 'Heart of Love Evolution - Surviving Depression', never imagined that she would attempt suicide until she slipped deeper and deeper into a state of desperation and depression. Her attempted suicides were a slow wake-up call that she needed to love herself. Her example shows that overcoming depression, while challenging, is not impossible.
Growing up with an emotionally abusive alcoholic father, and a mother dying from cancer, Terezia stepped into the role of caregiver and homemaker at an early age. When her mother died, Terezia went from grief to depression and attempted suicides. Terezia's deepening despair made her not only question the meaning of her life, but also contemplate other elements that contributed to her state of depression.
Terezia was strong enough to survive her dark nights of the soul. She turned her life around by looking for the light within her experiences and through loving herself. She eventually found her soul path that at the end led her to a higher level of being and self-love. Terezia's message of hope and self-love shows that those who suffer from depression can go past the pain and hopelessness and can end up recovering from depression.
Terezia Farkas is available for media interviews and can be reached using the information below or by email at tmfarkas@shaw.ca. 'Heart Of Love Evolution - Surviving Depression' is available at Amazon. More information is available at her website at http://www.tereziafarkas.com.
About Terezia Farkas:
Terezia Farkas earned her two degrees, B.Sc. Psychology Specialization and B.Ed. at the University of Alberta, Canada. Her poetry and writings have been published in books, Canadian magazines, and newspapers. She is a Bestselling Author with Heart of Love Evolution, a memoir dealing with depression and how to recover from depression and suicidal thoughts.
Contact:
Terezia Farkas
tmfarkas@shaw.ca
http://www.tereziafarkas.com
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