General Chat

no problem whatever for me - sometimes a problem for others - good job I didn't own a gun :-D :-D

Just last month I was on the train going to see my daughter in London and the train came to a halt.There had been a fatality on the line (not hit by my train ) but just up ahead somewhere.Also the same thing happened last year.I never did get there .
It is so sad when someone feels so desperate to end their life in this way .Not only have their family got to come to terms with what has happened to a loved one ,but the train driver and the people who have to 'clear up' the terrible scene.I just cannot imagine the effect on the poor train driver .There is nothing they can do to avert hitting the person.My heart goes out to everyone involved in such tragic circumstances.

I think it is great that you can talk about your Clinical Depression Ann ,and thank goodness your suicide attempt failed and you are still here :-D :-D
I don't think people are selfish when they attempt suicide (in what ever way).

Some years ago I found my neighbour after he had taken a massive overdose.It was so scary as I thought he had passed away ,but after some time in intensive care,and then a spell at a psychiatric hospital ,medication and counselling he is doing fine :-D :-D.A few weeks before his overdose he had asked me to look after the keys to his gun cabinet as he was afraid he was going to use one !

the more people come out in the open about mental illness the greater the chance of the stigma being dropped - that's why I have no problem talking about it

I'm glad you failed Ann and have coped with the help of medication since. I for one would have missed your posts on the boards! :-) Depression can be all consuming and often isn't understood or recognised by the sufferer themselves let alone others so a brave face is likely to be put on.

I think more would choose guns if they were easily obtained. Maybe trains are also chosen as they are also likely to be successful and quick. It must be quite stressful for train drivers knowing there is always a possible suicide each time they set off. I can't see how they could ever prevent it happening though.

well I'm someone who attempted suicide many years ago - failed as you can see - suffer from Clinical Depression but was unaware of the fact - strange thing was I was working in a psychiatric hospital at the time and my colleagues were all highly trained psychiatric nurses - they had no idea either. Clinical Depressives always keep a smiley face on when bad things are going on inside - I overdosed and woke up about two days later. I'll be on medication for the rest of my life, but that's no big deal and I weathered the untimely death of my lovely husband with no dark thoughts

What I find difficult to come to terms with is these people who choose trains as their way out - one of my son's colleagues has had three suicides under his train - the worst was when he was approaching a station where he was not due to stop so he was going a fair lick - a girl stood on the end of the platform and he knew exactly what she was going to do - she looked him full in the face and stepped off - that is bad

Well said Kitty, it is awful for all concerned. It must be horrendous for train drivers as there is nothing they can do to stop the horror unfold in front of them and awful for the people dealing with the aftermath and only right that they get whatever support and help they need.

I think it is terribly judgmental to consider someone living a nightmare of overwhelming unhappiness that is really a mental illness at the time to be selfish. Some are able to feel bad about it and leave notes saying so. I find it so unkind, like when you hear people say it is 'taking the easy way out 'when they have no knowledge of the situation or suffering. I wouldn't find it easy to kill myself at all, so I am probably a coward!

Suicides are bound to increase when people feel lonely and disconnected from a society that doesn't seem to notice them, when men lose the means to provide for their families, when people can't cope with tragedy that befalls them. We should all be nicer to everyone. A smile might make all the difference to someone's day.

I still feel upset about a lady and her disabled daughter were tormented for years and who could get no help from anyone to stop it despite trying. In the end she drove her car to a layby a few miles from here and set the car on fire killing them both. I think of it every time I drive by.

I have known both sides.

A wonderfully kind and gentle work colleague and friend suffered horrendous bouts of depression and despite all the love and support her family and friends gave her, she walked out of work one day and 20 minutes later jumped in front of a train.

A few months later, my son-in-law went through a train drivers worst nightmare when he watched helplessly as a pretty young girl looked at him before jumping to her death................he still feels guilty even though he was completely faultless.

To take such action, my friend must have been in torment, she would never upset or hurt anyone, but I suppose she just wanted it all to stop.

It is a horrible situation for everyone concerned, including the railway staff who have to clean up afterwards :-( :-(

There are Train/Tube drivers who never work again after someone either by accident or on purpose dies in a train incident.

My heart goes out to those drivers who at the last minute see the face of the person who decides that they have to throw themselve under a train.

Sad as it is, the reality is these suicides are selfish. If they wish to die they can do it in many other ways. But to cause someone else to kill you is truly terrible.

oh Wend - how awful - my heart goes out to you <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Suicide is always a chilling mystery & a desolating act.

A work colleague is on special 'medication' because of his occasional threats to 'end it all'. He has ADHD which, we are told, is the probable root of much of his anxiety.

Luckily, the employer & work colleagues are very sympathetic to his mood swings & try to help as much as amateurs can.

Such a terrible way to end a life, and to involve others who have no choice in the matter is selfish but the rationality of a person committing suicide doesn't think of anything but doing the dreadful deed.

I am always sad for the train drivers etc as well as the person driven to suicide and also the families of those people ..

May those lost this way yesterday, find peace at last and may their families find support and comfort to get through such tragedies.

Lizx

My much-loved mum jumped off a bridge onto a railway line 37 years 6 days ago, aged 49. Until recently, as far as I knew, she died instantly. More than that I did not know - I had given birth to my first child 2 days before, so was not told any details at the time and haven't been since. 4 months or so ago I plucked up courage and ordered her death certificate and was 'relieved' to read that she died instantly from multiple injuries and electrocution.

She had her sad reasons for ending her life and I really hope with all my heart that she didn't cause a train driver, or anyone else present on that awful day, any undue harm or distress.<3

train drivers do get counselling and compensation - I have every sympathy if someone is so low they feel forced to commit suicide, but just wish they wouldn't make someone else part of their plan

also, the people who clean the trains - outside that is - also get paid extra for cleaning up trains that have been involved in suicides

Enfield it was

Hi Lyndi and Ann, a friend of ours drives the Sheffield to St. Pancras trains, a few times over the last couple of years he has had people jump out in front of him. He was in a terrible state the last time it happened and was off work for a couple of months and when he returned he was given another job to do until he was ready to drive the train again.

Ann, sorry to hear about your ex colleague....it's very sad.


Sallie.x

So sad Ann, but awful for the drivers - I saw there were no trains in or our of Paddington earlier - that must have been the incident near Enfield.

my son is a train driver - he had a hell of a day today - he was coming out of Paddington getting up to 125 mph - a colleague was coming the other way - a man jumped in front of his train to commit suicide - this colleague has only been a driver for five years and this was his second suicide

earlier this week as my son was about to leave Swansea for Paddington he was told to hang on as a man was on a bridge over the railway threatening to jump - after about twenty minutes waiting he was told he could go - the man had swallow dived off the bridge leaving the girl who negotiating with him in a dreaful state

what's going on with this spate of suicides? a week last Sunday the police helicopter was up over my house and surrounding area for three hours - very unusual - the psychiatric hospital where I worked for thirty years is just across the road - news filtered through on the internet that they were looking for an ex colleague of mine - a Charge Nurse who had worked at the hospital from student days - he had gone missing - car found on the Taff trail with a suicide note in it - three days later found drowned in the River Taff

Today I have read of the deaths of four people in collisions with trains. Two in Lincolnshire, one in Enfield and one near Diss.

There will be great sadness and anguish for the relatives of those who have died, but tonight there are three train drivers who will have nightmares and flashbacks for many a night to come. Hope they get all the help and support they need :-(