{"id":9290,"date":"2013-01-17T02:04:35","date_gmt":"2013-01-17T10:04:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.godammit.com\/?p=9290"},"modified":"2013-01-17T02:04:35","modified_gmt":"2013-01-17T10:04:35","slug":"when-can-we-talk-about-depression","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/godammit.com\/when-can-we-talk-about-depression\/","title":{"rendered":"When Can We Talk About Depression?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Like everyone else, I am heartbroken by the loss of Aaron Swartz<\/a>, 26, who hung himself last week. He was by all accounts an amazing person. He used his brilliance in technology to advance the cause of a free internet. \u00a0He was a passionate activist whose antics led to serious charges that could have ended in decades of jail time. \u00a0Naturally, there is cause to question and condemn the over-zealous prosecutor who seemed intent on punishing Aaron in the worst way possible. Living under this threat and its attendant stress must have been difficult.<\/p>\n

But nobody in Aaron’s world seems to want to talk about depression. Maybe they feel that being driven to suicide by the dark forces of the corporate-government complex is more noble than a loss in the struggle with clinical depression. In forums and editorials about Aaron’s death, those who bring up Aaron’s admitted depression are scolded with “Now is not the time!”<\/p>\n

But now is the time. Now is always the time. If you don’t understand depression, here<\/a> is a good place to start. If you want statistics on college suicide, go here<\/a>. \u00a0Read about the stigma of depression in the tech world here<\/a>. Read Aaron’s blog post about his depression here<\/a>. You already know that more US soldiers now die from suicide than in combat.<\/p>\n

Suicide is preventable. Not in every case, obviously. But awareness and education and the dedication of friends and loved ones can and does make a difference. This website<\/a>, suicideispreventable.org, is the first step in learning \u00a0how you can help and what words to use with a friend who might be thinking of ending his life.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org\/GetHelp\/Someone<\/a> is\u00a0another\u00a0good resource. \u00a0Feeling hopeless and seeing no end in sight can make death seem like the only option. Empathy and affection can persuade the depressed person that things can change.<\/p>\n

I wish I could have comforted Aaron Swartz until he felt strong enough to go on. I wish I had stayed up with Max and held his hand until the beginning of a new day. We can’t go back in time but we can try our best to break someone’s fall if we are mindful and courageous enough to make the effort.<\/p>\n

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