Therese Gump remembers the pain she felt when a neighbor at thesupermarket skulked into the next aisle to avoid her.
People didn't know what to say to her after her son Joey, 21,killed himself in 1980.
Today she is coordinator of client services at Loving Outreachto Survivors of Suicide, or L.O.S.S., a program of CatholicCharities.Joey died while he was away in Minnesota after a rough couple ofyears."He was never diagnosed with depression, but Monday-morningquarterbacking, I think he definitely suffered from it," his mothersaid. "He had an unhappy love affair with a girl, became ill withmono and spent a lot of time in bed." Because of his illness, helost all of his school credits."All of these things don't make a person kill themselves . . .that's one of the frustrations of survivors," she said. "We can'tgive you a reason."She lectures at schools to convey to the young what suicide doesto survivors. This is what she says."They are ending their pain but they are beginning a road ofpain for many years for the people they love the most. The world isnot a better place without them. Dead is dead. You're not going tocome back and see who came to your funeral, like in the book TomSawyer. It's not a romantic or heroic act. It's devastating. It'sbloody. If you choose a violent means you might disfigure yourselfso no one recognizes you. There is nothing you can't be forgivenfor. To end your life is a useless act. There is help out there.There is help within a phone call."
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