Dangerous spike in suicides among young Irish in New York

Family, friends heartbroken as three men take their lives

David believes his depression is the result of being bullied as a child about his looks. David is an attractive 33-year-old but can’t see it.

He is the life and soul of a party and he was the first person to poke fun at himself for his “ugliness.”

His behavior gave his friends the green light to add to the insults and he said he found their jeering too much to cope with.

“I have struggled to accept the way I have looked all my life for whatever reason. I am 33 years of age and I have never had a serious relationship, so the loneliness that comes with that can be very hard to bare at times.”

Now that he has survived his suicide attempt, David said life has improved.  "It’s a work in progress but I am so glad to be alive,” he said.

David came clean clean about his sadness and depression to his family in the hospital in the days following his overdose. He said it was like a huge weight being lifted off his shoulders.

David’s first step was counseling and taking a course of anti-depressants.

“Now counseling doesn’t necessarily work for everyone, but I found it helped me a lot. And I would definitely recommend anti-depressants,” he said.

“The thing is you just have to be patient with them as they take about four to six weeks before you will feel the benefits of them but I promise you when the time comes the medication will give you a lot of peace and contentment,” he said. David also admitted that he had been dismissive about taking tablets to improve his outlook but now would recommend them to anyone.

David also said he had started doing more exercise. He joined a gym and took up cycling. He recently completed a 120-mile cycle in aid of charity. “Everyone says that exercise is a natural anti-depressant and they are so right. I definitely know getting fit has helped me to have a healthier state of mind,” he said.

He accepts that life will be difficult at times, but he uses different coping strategies to work through these times, and he now reaches out to friends and family if he feels lonely or depressed. He has also given up alcohol.

“There will always be tough times ahead that’s just a part of life but there is also so many more wonderful things about life that I have experienced and will get to experience now that I am still here.”

“All I can say is not to try and carry whatever burden it is that you carry all by yourself. Tell someone you can trust or even a complete stranger if you have to. There are also help lines with really good people that can help you through the hard times and start getting you back on your feet again.

“Trust me from someone who has been through the very depths of depression and has managed to get through it and find the way to smile and be happy again that it is really possible, I promise you. Don’t let people get you down and just be proud of who you are.”

Meanwhile, Donnelly, says there are warning signs to watch out for in people who are suicidal .

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Nster.com