Written By: Law offices of Zoller | Biacsi

The recent suicide of a close friend brings this tragic topic back to my attention and to the subject of this blog. When my friend died, he was unemployed, involved in a divorce and had his two boys, one with special needs, in two different states. I knew him as a cheerful, accomplished, loving man. He was one of those people who always had a twinkle in his eyes. Now he is gone. His parents, family, friends and extended family are probably wondering what they could have or should have done to help him and avoid this senseless loss.

No one knows what was going on inside his head. The situation must have appeared hopeless. He was suffering the loss of his marriage, the potential separation from his boys and no way to support himself at least in the short term. Most of us are lucky to be strangers to such deep and limitless despair.

His death reminds us that Zoller | Biacsi clients face many of these perils either for themselves or their spouses. In thirty years of practice, I have visited more than a few clients in mental health centers and psychiatric wards. I’ve driven a couple of them to the admitting desk myself. I once met a client in the parking lot of a Red Robin restaurant to convince her to give me her .38 revolver. One former employee of the firm took his own life. Mental illness is an insidious disease, and it is always made worse by divorce.

Always remember that words have consequences. The people you talk to, or about, may be struggling in ways you cannot imagine. At our firm, that is one of our guiding principles. We treat people with dignity and respect always.

If you or a loved one is suffering from depression, seek out help. It’s worth it. Here’s how:

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation: http://www.ohiospf.org/

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: http://afsp.org/

Ohio Suicide Prevention Plan .pdf: http://mha.ohio.gov/Portals/0/assets/Prevention/ohio-suicide-prevention-plan.pdf