"If it was revenge, it was the revenge of the community."Ian Fleming.
Recently, I have talked with several people who have been affected by close friends who have committed suicide. There is nothing subtle or petty about this incredible act of self destruction. This single act has left those behind without any mooring or compass with which to navigate the rest of their otherwise human experience. It is not only the family and associates of the victim who are affected but it is the community at large that suffers when a person takes his or her own life. Doctors also are often at a complete loss to comfort or aid those left behind, so overwhelming is this final act of one individual person.
Murder and aggravated assault have not been occupying my thoughts recently although when these occur in the community, it is equally devastating and there are even more victims involved. The community tries to right itself and go on as before but there is always and forever a void and a failing that lives within the people associated with these tragedies.
We humans are, by our nature so protective of our community of people. The "revenge of the community" in the opening quote might be simply a call to rally around the victims left behind in these tragedies and renew our committment to watchfulness and focused intervention when a member of our community begins to drift away. As a family doctor, I percieve these great upheavals in our town and among my patients and can only stand back and catch my breath like everybody else and wait for the storm to subside on the horizon.
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